SEVIS Fee Explained: What Is It SEVIS Fee, Who Pays, When, and What Happens If You Don’t

The SEVIS fee is a mandatory government fee required of most F-1 and J-1 visa applicants to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) — the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s official tracking system that monitors international students from pre-admission through their course completion. You must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee before your visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and failure to pay — or to present valid proof of payment — typically means your visa application cannot proceed. Because SEVIS payment is an official requirement defined by U.S. immigration regulation, agents and intermediaries cannot waive it or substitute it with other fees; the only acceptable method is via the official SEVP I-901 portal.

Official fee payment links and the most current amount are published on the U.S. government SEVP website and relevant DHS pages, and the fee payment must be completed and documented before visa submission or else your DS-160 application becomes invalid for consular purposes.

What SEVIS Is and Why the Fee Exists — Government Tracking Explained in Depth

The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, better known by its acronym SEVIS, is the official tracking system used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to monitor the status and activities of international students and exchange visitors from the moment they first enroll in a U.S. academic program authorized under SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) throughout their entire period of stay, as well as through compliance reporting while they remain in the United States. SEVIS exists because the U.S. government — in the wake of post-9/11 policy reform — established a single, centralized database that integrates student and exchange visitor records with DHS enforcement data, port-of-entry information, and institutional reporting requirements. What this means in practice is that every international student is not anonymous within the U.S. system; rather, they are part of a federally managed tracking ecosystem that links their school data, immigration status entries, program timelines, and compliance events into a network that government officials can access for immigration control, safety, and compliance purposes. The SEVIS fee — officially called the I-901 SEVIS Fee — was instituted to help fund the development, maintenance, and operation of this system because its functionality requires sustained federal resources. In other words, the fee is not a visa processing charge; it is a system-operations charge mandated by U.S. immigration policy, and it is legally distinct from the visa application fee (MRV) charged by the U.S. Department of State.

The existence of SEVIS and its fee reflects the regulatory philosophy that international study is not only an academic matter but also an immigration matter that must be tracked for security, compliance, and data integrity. Universities that admit international students must be certified by SEVP, and each admitted student’s record is uploaded into SEVIS by a designated school official (DSO), who then becomes responsible for updating that record in the event of program changes, transfers, or status modifications. The SEVIS architecture is therefore foundational to the U.S. international student system — without it, the visa classification, admission notification, compliance reporting, and even departure confirmations cannot be reliably managed. Because agencies like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection use SEVIS for enforcement decisions at ports of entry, the SEVIS fee becomes a prerequisite not for admission, but for being entered into the official tracking network that underpins legal status.

It’s also important to contrast SEVIS with the visa process: paying the SEVIS fee does not guarantee visa issuance, nor does it automatically grant entry. Instead, it connects your legal record to the system that immigration officials will reference when you present your visa at a U.S. consulate and later at a port of entry controlled by the same DHS family of agencies. Because of this layered integration, failure to pay (or to pay in time) means the SEVIS record remains uninitiated and no visa interview can proceed with valid documentation. This is why official government guidance stresses that you must pay the fee as soon as you receive your Form I-20 (for F-1) or DS-2019 (for J-1) from your admitting institution — there is no alternative route through agent payment, third-party systems, or non-government intermediaries. This fee structure and its mandatory nature are detailed in the official Student and Exchange Visitor Program documentation on ICE.gov. (Source: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/students)

Understanding SEVIS as a government operational system rather than as a visa processing stage is crucial to appreciating why the fee exists and why its payment is obligatory before any subsequent visa adjudication can occur.

Who Pays the SEVIS Fee — Categories, Exceptions, and Special Cases

At its core, the SEVIS I-901 fee is required of most individuals applying for certain non-immigrant U.S. visa classifications — the most prominent of which are F-1 (academic students) and J-1 (exchange visitors). These classifications require SEVIS enrollment because they represent programs under which an individual is authorized to study or participate in formal exchange activities that require legal tracking by the DHS. The fee is paid only once per initial SEVIS record unless the record is terminated and a new one is issued — for example, in cases of transfer where a student moves from one SEVP-certified school to another, a new SEVIS ID may be generated and a new fee may be required. The official list of categories for which the SEVIS fee is required can be found on the government’s SEVP I-901 fee instructions page, which explicitly states that F and J visa applicants must pay the fee before scheduling a visa interview, but also clarifies that M-1 vocational students have similar requirements under a different SEVIS structure.

Importantly, some visa categories are exempt from the SEVIS I-901 fee. These exemptions include certain J-1 participants in government-funded exchange programs where the sponsoring government pays the fee on behalf of the participant, and certain dependent family members in specific contexts who are listed as fee-exempt because they are not primary program participants. However, these situations are defined narrowly by official SEVP policy, and individuals should consult the explicit guidance on the SEVP website to confirm exemption status rather than relying on hearsay or agent claims. Because every exception has defined regulatory conditions, an incorrect assumption about exemption can easily lead to application delays or denial at the embassy stage.

Another important nuance is that the SEVIS fee is your responsibility — even if you are sponsored by a government scholarship, a private foundation, or a university scholarship. Paying the fee through the official I-901 portal is required regardless of who funds your tuition. Neither the embassy nor your sponsoring organization will automatically pay the fee for you unless they explicitly state so in writing and it is processed through the official SEVIS system. Recognizing this distinction is essential for planning timelines: because SEVIS payment must precede the visa interview appointment, delays in sponsorship paperwork often translate into delayed SEVIS fee payment, which in turn stalls the entire visa process.

The key takeaway is that you — the visa applicant — must ensure that the SEVIS fee is paid properly, and that the generated receipt (I-901 Payment Confirmation) is available for the next steps. Agents cannot replace this requirement; only the official SEVP I-901 system can confirm payment and link it to your SEVIS record. Consular officers will often ask for this receipt at the interview, and absence of a valid receipt typically results in rescheduled or denied appointments.

When You Must Pay — Timing, SEVIS Records, and Visa Preparation

Unlike the visa processing fee (MRV), which is tied to your virtual appointment scheduling system at a U.S. embassy or consulate, the SEVIS fee has its own timeline and payment portal — independent of the U.S. Department of State’s non-immigrant visa system. The official SEVP guidance states that you should pay the SEVIS I-901 fee as soon as you receive your Form I-20 (for F-1) or DS-2019 (for J-1) and well before your visa interview appointment, because the SEVIS payment confirmation — specifically the I-901 fee receipt — is one of the documents you must present at your interview. The risk of paying late — after your interview is scheduled — is not just administrative inconvenience, but the potential cancellation or postponement of interview slots, which are often limited and competitive, especially in high-demand seasons.

To ensure compliance with this timing requirement, many applicants pay the SEVIS fee immediately after accepting their academic offer and receiving their official I-20 or DS-2019. This aligns with the official guidance on ICE.gov, which may be updated annually but consistently emphasizes early payment to avoid interview scheduling conflicts. Because SEVIS records are generated by the admitting institution’s DSO and then uploaded into SEVIS, the I-901 fee payment must be linked to the correct SEVIS ID — a unique identifier that must appear on both your payment confirmation and your visa application documents (such as your DS-160).

Technically, the SEVIS fee receipt remains valid indefinitely for the particular SEVIS record it is attached to, meaning you do not need to pay again unless the record changes or you obtain a new one. However, paying the fee early gives you the flexibility to schedule your visa interview spontaneously rather than having to wait for SEVIS confirmation to clear administrative processing. There are documented cases where applicants waited weeks for their SEVIS payment to register in the consular systems because they paid only a day or two before their interview date, which then required rescheduling — a logistical and financial burden avoided by early planning.

It’s also important to know that SEVIS payment status can be verified online through the official SEVP I-901 portal, and applicants are encouraged to print and store multiple copies of their payment receipt, including the barcode and confirmation number. Because the visa interview and subsequent entry into the United States depend heavily on this documentation, losing or misplacing the receipt can create avoidable stress and delay.

Official U.S. government guidance on these timing issues can be seen on ICE’s SEVIS student page and in explanatory materials about SEVIS compliance, which underscore the importance of early and accurate payment. (Source: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/students)

What Happens If You Don’t Pay — Visa Consequences and System Impacts

Failing to pay the SEVIS fee or paying it incorrectly is not a minor procedural oversight; it is a disqualifying condition for your visa application process. Because consular officers are trained to verify the existence of a valid SEVIS I-901 fee payment before continuing with a visa interview, absence of a valid payment confirmation typically results in your interview being suspended, your appointment rescheduled, or — in some cases — your visa application being denied outright with instructions to pay the fee and reapply. Because the SEVIS fee is mandated by federal regulation and linked directly to your immigration record, embassies and consulates cannot waive the fee or proceed without it. While some agents may claim that they can “handle payment later” or “get a fee waiver,” such claims are often misinformation or misunderstanding; the embassies’ published procedures clearly state the fee must be paid and presented at interview time.

What’s more, paying the fee to the wrong SEVIS ID — for example, if you input your I-20 incorrectly into the I-901 payment portal — does not count as valid payment for the intended record. This is a real-world issue that many applicants encounter because they misunderstand the technical precision required when submitting SEVIS fee information — a precision that agents sometimes gloss over but that consular systems and immigration officials do not. The consequence is that even if you have a payment receipt, if it is not linked to the exact SEVIS ID associated with your I-20, consular officers will treat it as if no payment has been made, and you will be asked to correct it. Correcting it often means paying a new fee on the correct record and securing a new receipt, which then pushes back interview dates.

In some situations, applicants have tried to reuse an old SEVIS receipt (from a prior academic year or prior SEVIS record) on the mistaken belief that one SEVIS fee covers multiple instances — but because the fee is tied to a specific SEVIS ID, this is not permissible. The official I-901 system will not accept the old receipt for a new record, and consular officers have been known to request explicit verification that the receipt matches the current SEVIS ID.

The practical implication is stark: no valid SEVIS fee payment linked to the correct SEVIS record means no visa interview — at best leading to rescheduling and financial loss, and at worst resulting in denial if documentation is inconsistent. Because SEVIS is a government tracking system, rather than a discretionary administrative stage, there is no appeal for procedural lapses; you must pay the fee correctly and present the official receipt.

How to Pay — Step-by-Step With Official System Navigation and Best Practices

The official way to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee is through the U.S. government’s FMJfee.com portal, which is explicitly designated by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) for this purpose. No third-party platform — including agent portals, private payment gateways, or institutional payment systems — substitutes for the FMJfee portal because the SEVIS system accepts payment confirmations only from this official source. Step-by-step, the process is as follows: first, confirm your SEVIS ID on your Form I-20 (for F-1) or DS-2019 (for J-1); then visit the FMJfee.com portal and enter your SEVIS ID exactly as shown, along with your name and date of birth; next, select your method of payment (credit/debit card, electronic check in some jurisdictions); finally, confirm your payment and print the generated I-901 payment confirmation. The official portal’s instructions make it clear that the confirmation number and receipt are necessary for further visa processing.

A common best practice recommended by U.S. government guidance is to double-check your SEVIS ID entry before submitting payment because SEVIS IDs are unique and sensitive to typographic errors. The portal does not typically allow refunds for SEVIS fee payment errors unless explicitly required under rare circumstances, so precision at the point of entry saves applicants from costly mistakes.

Another official best practice is to save multiple digital and printed copies of your payment confirmation, including the barcode, confirmation number, and the SEVIS ID that it corresponds to. You will need to present this at your visa interview, and having redundant copies ensures you are prepared even if one copy is misplaced.

In some regions, applicants can pay through approved Western Union or bank payment options connected to the FMJfee system, but these options still link back to the official SEVIS fee system rather than a private intermediary. Official government guidance for regional payment options is provided in detail on the SEVP I-901 fee page for international students.

Importantly, after paying, you can verify your payment status via the SEVIS I-901 portal, and consular systems typically cross-reference your payment when you schedule your visa interview. Having the printed confirmation available at the interview — and ideally high-quality scans in your document folder — demonstrates not only compliance but professionalism, which consular officers appreciate.

SEVIS Fee Overview

SEVIS Fee Payment Methods

In Summary: SEVIS Is Not Optional, and Precision Matters

SEVIS exists because the U.S. government requires systematic tracking of international students as a matter of immigration control, safety policy, and compliance. The SEVIS fee is not an extra cost nor a visa convenience; it is a mandated system charge that funds this federal tracking mechanism. Because the SEVIS fee is layered into the visa process before the embassy even considers your application, getting it right is as important as getting your academic documents in order, your financial evidence prepared, and your DS-160 submitted. Federal law makes no allowances for agent claims, alternate fee systems, or payment shortcuts. Agents may help organize paperwork, but they cannot replace SEVIS payment requirements or override government systems.

When you approach this fee with full understanding — of why it exists, who must pay it, when it must be paid, what happens if you don’t, and how to navigate the official payment system meticulously — you gain control over one of the most critical procedural milestones in your U.S. study journey. Acting early, documenting thoroughly, and relying on official government guidance ensures that this part of your process is completed confidently and correctly.