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General

Information F4

How do I pay the 

USCIS Immigrant Fee?

2. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee

• Go to www.uscis.gov/file-online to review USCIS online 

filing resources. 

• Select “Log in.”

• Next, select “USCIS Immigrant Fee.”

• Enter your Alien Registration Number and DOS Case ID, 

found at the top of your USCIS Immigrant Fee handout. If you 

are paying for additional family members, you can add their 

Alien Registration Numbers and DOS Case IDs.

• Provide a valid credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express, 

or Discover Card), debit card, or U.S. bank checking account 

information (account number and bank routing number).

If you are unable to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee yourself, you 

may choose someone to pay the fee for you. For example: a family 

member, friend, employer, attorney, or accredited representative. 

What happens after you arrive in the United States?

1. Arrive with your Immigrant Visa Packet at U.S. Port of Entry

• You are admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent 

resident by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

2. Receive your Green Card (Form I-551)

• After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will verify 

that you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee and mail your 

Green Card to the U.S. address you provided to DOS at the 

time of your immigrant visa interview or to CBP when you were 

admitted to the United States.

• If USCIS does not have a record showing you paid the USCIS 

Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a notice with instructions 

on how to pay the fee.

• If you paid the fee before coming to the United States and 

do not receive your Green Card within 120 days after being 

admitted to the U.S., please contact us through our online help 

form at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/contactus. 

If you are immigrating to the United States and will be admitted as a 

lawful permanent resident, you must pay the $165 USCIS Immigrant 

Fee. You will need to use the USCIS Electronic Immigration System 

to pay this fee. We strongly encourage you to pay this fee after

you receive your immigrant visa packet from the U.S. Embassy or 

consulate abroad (including Canada and Mexico) and before you 

depart for the United States. Paying before you depart for the United 

States will ensure that you receive your Permanent Resident Card 

(commonly referred to as a Green Card) without delay.

What is the USCIS Immigrant Fee?

The USCIS Immigrant Fee is $165. USCIS uses this fee to process 

your immigrant visa packet once you arrive in the United States. 

The fee also covers the cost for USCIS to produce your Green Card.

Please Note: You have to pay separate fees to the Department 

of State (DOS) and USCIS. You must pay your immigrant visa 

application fees to DOS and your USCIS Immigrant Fee ($165) 

to USCIS.

How do I pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee?

1. Attend your appointment at a U.S. Embassy or consulate

• Receive a handout that explains how to pay the USCIS 

Immigrant Fee. Please keep this document with your records 

because it contains your personal immigration information.

• At the top of the handout, you will find your:

° Alien Registration Number (the letter “A” followed by 

8 or 9 numbers. For example: “A0123456789”); and 

° DOS Case ID (3 letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers. 

For example: “ABC1234567890”) 

Please note: For Diversity Visa (DV) immigrants, the DOS 

Case ID will have 4 numbers followed by 2 letters followed 

by 5 numbers. For example: “1234XY12345.”

• Receive your sealed immigrant visa packet.
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• You can also schedule an InfoPass appointment with your local 

office if you have a question or need further assistance with 

your case. To make an InfoPass appointment, go to 

https://infopass.uscis.gov.

What should I do if I move to another U.S. address after 

I arrive in the United States?

• USCIS will only mail your Green Card to the U.S. mailing 

address you provide to the Department of State at the time of 

your immigrant visa interview or to the CBP officer when you 

are admitted to the United States. If you plan on living at a 

different U.S. address immediately after you enter the United 

States, please give that address to the CBP officer to ensure 

that your card arrives at your new home. 

• If you move after you arrive in the United States, please 

update your address with USCIS by visiting www.uscis.gov/

addresschange or by calling the National Customer Service 

Center at (800) 375-5283. Also, we recommend that you update 

your address with the U.S. Postal Service by visiting your local 

U.S. post office or online at www.usps.com/umove. 

Tips on paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee

1.Anyone may pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee for you. This 

includes attorneys, accredited representatives, family members, 

friends, and employers. 

2.A-Number. If your Alien Registration Number is fewer than 

9 digits, insert a zero after the “A” and before the first digit to 

create a 9-digit number. For example: “A12345678” would 

become “A012345678”.

3.Navigating on Your Computer While Paying the Fee. 

Do not use your computer’s “Back” button when paying the 

USCIS Immigrant Fee. This may cause errors. Instead, use the 

navigation buttons in the system to go forward or backwards.

4. Submitting Your Payment. Click on the “Submit Payment” 

button only one time for each USCIS Immigrant Fee you are 

paying. If you click the button more than one time, you may 

end up paying the fee multiple times.

5.Online Payments Only. You must pay the USCIS Immigrant 

Fee online. USCIS will not accept payments by mail.

6.Print a Copy for Your Records. We recommend that you 

print a copy of the fee transaction and the payment receipt for 

your records.

What if I cannot pay my USCIS Immigrant Fee before I 

depart for the United States?

If you are unable to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before you leave 

to come to the United States, you must pay this fee after you are 

admitted to the United States. If USCIS does not have a record 

showing you paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a 

notice with instructions on how to pay the fee.

Please Note: You will not receive your Green Card until you have 

paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

How do I know if I have to pay the fee or if I am exempt 

from paying the fee?

If DOS issued you an immigrant visa and you are applying for 

admission to the United States, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant 

Fee unless you are exempt. DOS will notify you if you are exempt 

from paying the fee. 

The following immigrants generally are exempt from paying the 

USCIS Immigrant Fee:

• Children who enter the United States under either the Orphan 

or Hague adoption programs;

• Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants;

• Returning residents (SB-1s); and

• Individuals who are issued K visas.

What happens if I fail to pay the fee?

USCIS will not issue your Green Card until you have paid the 

USCIS Immigrant Fee. Once the fee is paid, USCIS will process your 

payment and issue you a Green Card.

After you arrive in the United States, you will receive a stamp in 

your passport that validates your admission as a lawful permanent 

resident. The stamp is valid for 1 year. Once this stamp expires, you 

will need your Green Card as evidence of your lawful permanent 

resident status.

For More Information 

For more information on the USCIS Immigrant Fee, 

please visit www.uscis.gov/ImmigrantFee and 

www.uscis.gov/file-online.
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Key Information

Key USCIS forms referenced in this guide Form #

Permanent Resident Card I-551 

Key USCIS web sites 

referenced in this guide

Web site link

USCIS Electronic Immigration 

System

www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis

InfoPass https://infopass.uscis.gov

Key USCIS phone numbers 

referenced in this guide

Phone number

USCIS National Customer 

Service Center

(800) 375-5283

Hearing Impaired TDD 

Customer Service

(800) 767-1833

Other U.S. Government Services–Click or Call

General Information www.usa.gov

New Immigrants www.welcometoUSA.gov

U.S. Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement

www.ice.gov

U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection

www.cbp.gov

U.S. Deptartment of State www.state.gov

U.S. Postal Service www.usps.gov

You can also visit www.uscis.gov to download forms, file 

some applications online, check the status of an application, 

and more. It’s a great place to start!

If you don’t have Internet access at home or work, try your 

local library.

If you cannot find what you need, please contact us at 

https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/contactus.

Disclaimer: This guide provides basic information 

to help you become generally familiar with our 

rules and procedures. For more information, 

or the law or regulations, please visit our Web 

site. Immigration law can be complex, and it is 

impossible to describe every aspect of every 

process. You may wish to be represented by 

a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit agency 

accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.