SEVIS I-901 Fee: Complete Payment Guide for F-1 Visa Applicants

The SEVIS I-901 fee is a mandatory charge from the United States government that funds the monitoring system for international students and exchange program participants. It is separate from the visa fee (MRV), is paid on an exclusive federal government website, and must be settled before the interview at the U.S. consulate. For the international applicant planning to study in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, understanding this payment process step by step helps avoid delays, missed interviews, and unnecessary charges by middlemen.

What Is the SEVIS Fee

SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, the database managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that records and tracks international students and exchange visitors throughout their stay in the United States. The system monitors entry and exit dates, educational institution, enrollment status, program changes, and compliance with visa conditions.

The formal charge is the Form I-901 Fee, established by Section 641 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Without proof of payment, the consulate will not conduct the visa interview, and the immigration officer at the border may deny entry.

Who Must Pay

The SEVIS I-901 fee is required for all principal applicants in the following visa categories:

• F-1 — academic student at a university, college, high school, or language program affiliated with a SEVP-certified institution
• M-1 — vocational student in a technical or professional training program
• J-1 — participant in a cultural, academic, or professional exchange program (au pair, trainee, work and travel, visiting researcher, visiting professor, resident physician, among others)

Dependents applying for derivative visas F-2, M-2, and J-2 — spouses and unmarried children under 21 — are exempt from payment. These dependents pay only the MRV consular visa fee.

2026 Fee Amounts

The official amounts charged by ICE for the I-901 fee are:

• F-1 and M-1 visa: US$ 350
• J-1 visa (most categories): US$ 220
• J-1 visa — au pair, camp counselor, and summer work and travel: US$ 35

Payment is exclusively in U.S. dollars, processed by international credit or debit card issued under the Visa, Mastercard, or American Express networks. The system also accepts direct debit from a U.S. bank account via ACH, and in specific cases, a money order or international check sent by mail — options that virtually no international applicant uses due to the weeks of processing time required.

The SEVIS fee is completely separate from and additional to the MRV fee of US$ 185, charged by the Department of State for processing the F-1, M-1, or J-1 visa. Both payments are made in different systems and both are prerequisites for the consular interview.

When to Pay

The SEVIS fee can only be paid after the issuance of Form I-20 (for F-1 and M-1) or Form DS-2019 (for J-1) by the certified educational institution or sponsoring organization. The document contains the SEVIS ID number, without which the payment system cannot identify the applicant.

ICE recommends completing payment at least three business days before the consular interview. This window ensures the SEVP’s internal system processes the confirmation and makes it available for consular officers to review. Paying the day before is risky: any processing failure, card issue, or temporary website outage could jeopardize the interview.

Where to Pay: The Official Website

The only authorized website to process the I-901 fee is the government site fmjfee.com, operated by SEVP on behalf of ICE. Any other portal, agency, or intermediary service that charges for the SEVIS payment is adding an unofficial brokerage surcharge. The amount charged by the government is fixed, and any additional charge is a third-party service fee, not the SEVIS fee itself.

Sites with similar names, sponsored search ads, or social media profiles that promise to simplify the payment process should be avoided. The fmjfee.com site is free to use, operates in English, and offers direct SEVP support by email and phone for processing issues.

Step-by-Step Payment Guide

Accessing the Official Website

Go to fmjfee.com and click the Pay I-901 Fee button at the top of the page. The system redirects to a three-step form that must be completed in a single session.

Student Identification

Fill in the fields exactly as they appear on your official documents:

• SEVIS ID: an 11-character code starting with the letter N followed by ten digits. Found in the upper right corner of Form I-20 or DS-2019
• Last Name: full surname exactly as it appears in your passport
• Date of Birth: date of birth in month/day/year format (U.S. standard)

Any discrepancy between the information entered and the SEVIS record will generate an error. If locked out, the applicant must contact the institution’s designated school official (DSO) to validate the record.

School Information Confirmation

The system automatically displays the information of the institution linked to the SEVIS ID: legal name, SEVP code, program type, and start and end dates. If any information is incorrect, the applicant should not proceed — any payment made with an incorrect record may block the consular application and require correction through the DSO.

Additional Information

In the next step, complete the following:

• Form Type: I-20 for F-1 and M-1 visas, DS-2019 for J-1 visas
• Email address: a regularly accessed address, as it will receive the electronic confirmation
• Country of citizenship: country of passport nationality
• Country of birth: country of birth
• Full residential address including street, number, city, state/province, postal code, and country

Payment

Select your payment method, typically an international credit card. Enter the card number, expiration date, security code, and cardholder name exactly as printed on the card. Confirm the amount displayed (US$ 350 for F-1) and complete the transaction. Processing usually takes less than one minute.

Receipt

At the end, the system generates the Form I-901 Receipt as a PDF. This document is required at the consular interview and must also be presented to the immigration officer upon entry into the United States. Print a hard copy, save a digital version on your phone, and keep a backup copy in email or cloud storage.

The receipt can be reprinted at any time by visiting fmjfee.com and clicking Check Status, then entering the SEVIS ID and student details.

Mistakes That Can Invalidate Payment

• Incorrect SEVIS ID: copy the code directly from the I-20 without retyping it from memory
• Incomplete or mismatched last name: use exactly the legal surname from your passport, including hyphens and accents where applicable
• Payment through an unofficial website: only fmjfee.com is authorized by SEVP
• Paying the day before the interview: the consular system may not have synchronized the status yet; allow at least three business days
• Disputing or reversing the card charge after payment: this cancels the payment and invalidates SEVIS, requiring a new fee

Validity and Refunds

The SEVIS I-901 fee is valid for 12 months from the payment date. If the visa is denied during that period, the payment remains valid for a new attempt, as long as the I-20 or DS-2019 is still valid and the SEVIS ID is the same. No new payment is required.

A SEVIS fee refund is only granted in exceptional circumstances — a duplicate payment for the same SEVIS ID or a system error. Visa denial does not entitle the applicant to a refund. Refund requests must be submitted in writing to SEVP within 120 days of payment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the SEVIS fee replace the MRV fee?

No. They are independent charges paid in separate systems. The SEVIS I-901 fee (US$ 350 for F-1) funds ICE’s student monitoring system. The MRV fee (US$ 185 for F-1, M-1, and J-1) funds the Department of State’s consular visa processing. Both are mandatory.

Do dependents pay the SEVIS fee?

No. Spouses and unmarried children under 21 applying for F-2, M-2, or J-2 visas pay only the MRV consular visa fee. The principal F-1, M-1, or J-1 applicant is solely responsible for the family’s SEVIS fee.

Can I pay in a currency other than U.S. dollars?

No. Payment is processed in U.S. dollars. International cards issued in any currency apply the exchange rate in effect on the transaction date, plus any foreign transaction fees and exchange spreads charged by the issuing bank.

I lost the receipt. How do I retrieve it?

Go to fmjfee.com, click Check Status, and enter your SEVIS ID, last name, and date of birth. The system allows you to reprint the receipt at any time at no additional cost.

Can a third party make the payment?

Yes. The card used does not need to be in the student’s name. Parents, relatives, or sponsors may make the payment as long as the student’s information (SEVIS ID, last name, date of birth) is entered correctly on the form.

The SEVIS fee payment is a straightforward administrative step, but it demands attention to detail and timing. Those who follow the step-by-step process on the official website and keep both a physical and digital copy of the receipt will arrive at the consular interview with this requirement fully settled and no risk of postponement.

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.