Are you a foreign national planning to study abroad under F, M, or J status? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced increased fees for Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) services. Existing fees have grown and new fees have been added, affecting both schools and visa applicants. The changes will take effect June 24, 2019.
The I-901 SEVIS fee, which must be paid by visa applicants before the visa is issued, has increased from $200 to $350 for F and M visa applicants. J visitor I-901 SEVIS fees will rise from $180 to $220 in every category except au pair, summer work travel program, and camp counselor, which remain $35.
SEVP initial certification, which allows schools to issue I-20 Certificate of Eligibility to prospective students, will have almost double the fee, going from $1,700 to $3,000. Schools filing for recertification every two years will also have to pay a $1,250 fee each time. Additionally, schools must pay a $675 fee when filing form I-290B Notice of Appeal or Motion. The existing $655 school site visit fee will also be charged when schools change locations or add new ones to form I-17 Petition for Approval of School for Attendance by Nonimmigrant Student.
DHS summarizes who is responsible for a new/updated fee and when the fee is applied in the following table:
The DHS cites the need to balance funding and growing costs as a reason for these added fees. The fees will go toward vetting and monitoring students/exchange visitors, schools, and sponsors to ensure compliance with SEVP. Institutions and beneficiaries of the program should take note of these new fees. Applications sent to USCIS with incorrect payment amounts are rejected, which can delay processing and derail plans.
No comments:
Post a Comment