Completing and filing form I-901 Tips for UW-Madison J-1 Scholars The following tips are in addition to, not a substitution for, the official instructions. …
Completing and filing form I-901 “ Tips for UW-Madison J-1 Scholars
Be sure to read and follow the Department of Homeland Securitys
instructions carefully The following tips are in addition to, not a
substitution for, the official instructions
Name: Print or write your name exactly as it appears in your passport and
on your form DS-2019
Address: If you are paying the extra 30 for expedited delivery, be sure
to put a street address and phone number The courier service will not
deliver to a post office box and they must have a contact phone number
The receipt will be mailed to this address, so be sure it is completely
correct The receipt is your only paper-based proof of payment
School Code/Program Number: Leave school code blank, and fill in Program
Number P100105
SEVIS Identification Number: Fill in the number in the upper right corner
of your DS-2019 that is just above the bar code Proof of payment in your
official SEVIS electronic record will show only under this number, so be
certain it is correct Note: You may have received more than one form DS-
2019 Be sure to write in the ID number of the form that you will use to
apply for your visa The fee payment will
only show under that ID number
on your SEVIS electronic record If you do use a different DS-2019 form
for visa application or entry into the US after paying the fee, be sure
to carry the receipt and both forms DS-2019 with you to the consulate and
the port of entry
Amount to be paid: Do not complete 17A In 17B, check the box that
corresponds to the Exchange Visitor Category listed in Section 4 of your DS-
2019
Payment Options
There currently are three payment options: by credit card over the
internet; by check or money order by mail; and through Western Union Quick
Pay Payment must be processed before application for a visa and entry
into the United States Payment CANNOT be made at a US consulate, a port
of entry into the US, or to the USICE
Payment On-Line by Credit Card
The Department of Homeland Security DHS has set up a web site for SEVIS
fee payments: http://wwwicegov/sevis/i901/indexhtm Payment can be
made by any Visa, Master Card or American Express card, whether issued in
the US or abroad Once payment is submitted, a receipt can be printed
and used for immediate verification of fee payment A paper receipt will
also be mailed to the address on the
I-901
Payment by Check via Mail
DHS will only accept checks or money orders that are in US dollars and
drawn on a bank located in the US Many foreign banks can issue checks or
money orders drawn on a US bank, so you should be able to obtain the
check or money order in your home country The check must be payable to I-
901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee Be sure to mail the check to
the appropriate address on the I-901 instructions A receipt will be mailed
to the address on the I-901
Payment by Western Union Quick Pay
Western Union can collect the SEVIS I-901 fee, in local currency, along
with the form I-901 data and transmit them to Immigration The Western
Union receipt serves as immediate verification of fee payment For
complete instructions on how to pay the SEVIS fee via Western Union, go to:
http://wwwicegov/graphics/sevis/i901/wu_instrhtm
Additional Payment Information
Payment can be made by a third party, such as a friend or relative UW-
Madison does not routinely make SEVIS fee payments on behalf of Exchange
Visitors
Proof of payment is necessary for visa issuance Although payment by
credit card provides an immediate receipt, the information is not
loaded
into the consulates database for at least three business days Delays can
occur in the transfer of information from the DHS to the consulates
Therefore, it is essential for all Exchange Visitors to present their
receipt at the US consulate when applying for the visa and at the US
port of entry when applying for entry
You can schedule an interview at the consulate prior to obtaining the
receipt, but you must have it on the date of the interview, so be sure to
allow enough time to get the receipt, depending on the manner of payment
you used When the fee is paid by credit card over the internet or through
Western Union Quick Pay, the receipt is issued immediately, but when
payment is made by mail, you must allow time for the payment to be received
by DHS and a receipt to be sent back to you Be sure to allow at least
three business days from the date DHS issues the receipt to the date of the
interview, to allow the information to be uploaded to the consulate
Canadians
Canadian citizens do not need to apply for a visa at a US consulate, but
they still must apply for entry at a US port of entry Payment must be
made ahead of time in one of the three manners described above
Payment
cannot be made at the port of entry; it must have been processed ahead of
time and you must have the receipt to present at the port of entry
All Exchange visitors would be wise to carry their SEVIS fee receipt along
with their DS-2019 at all times when traveling
For additional information from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
see: http://wwwicegov/sevis/faqhtm
SEVIS fee tips 5/06
Published May 4, 2006
Source:ohr.wisc.edu
