Unless you are a citizen of Canada or Bermuda, you must obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa in order to seek admission to the U.S. for full-time studies (citizens of Canada or Bermuda do not require F-1 or J-1 visas but must present appropriate means of documentation at the U.S. port-of-entry to seek admission for full-time studies).

You must use your Form I-20 (for F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (for J-1 students) in applying for and obtaining your F-1 or J-1 visa or, in the case of Canadian and Bermudan citizens, to seek admission to the U.S. in J-1 status at a U.S. port-of-entry without an F-1 or J-1 visa.  Please read page 2 of your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, examine the information on page 1 for accuracy and sign the student certification block (for F-1 students) or exchange visitor certification block (for J-1 students) on the bottom of page 1 prior to presentation to a U.S. consular official or immigration official.  If you are required to obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and inquire about how to apply for an exchange visitor visa.  Contact information for and information on visa application procedures at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide is available through the U.S. State Department website: www.travel.state.gov.  Specific information on F-1 and J-1 visa application at U.S. Embassies and Consulates is available at the following address: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying.html

To apply for an F-1 visa, you must provide the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with Form I-20, passport, statement of funds, and other documents as required by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  To apply for a J-1 visa, you must provide the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with Form DS-2019, passport, statement of funds, and other documents as required by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

All F-1 students whose initial Form I-20 was issued on or after September 1, 2004, and all J-1 exchange visitors whose initial Form DS-2019 was issued on or after September 1, 2004 must pay a required Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Form I-901 fee of $100.00 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prior to applying for an F-1 visa or a J-1 visa at a U.S. consular office or, in the case of Canadian and Bermudan citizens, prior to requesting admission to the U.S. in F-1 or J-1 status at a U.S. port-of-entry.  Please note that prospective F-2 dependents of F-1 students and J-2 dependents of J-1 exchange visitors are not required to pay the SEVIS Form I-901 fee. The SEVIS fee must be paid online through use of a credit card, locally using the Western Union Quick Pay service, or by mail through use of a check or money order.  We highly recommend that you file and pay the required SEVIS fee online with a credit card or in person through the Western Union Quick Pay service instead of by mail with a check or money order since the online option and the Western Service Quick Pay service option result in much speedier processing of your required fee payment.

On-line payment option To pay the SEVIS fee online and obtain the required receipt for payment, you must do the following:

(1) complete and submit the Form I-901 online at www.fmjfee.com with the required Visa, MasterCard or American Express information for payment of the $100.00 SEVIS fee (please make sure to write your name and other required information exactly as it appears on your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019); and

(2) print a copy of the online payment receipt for your records and for submission to the U.S. consular official and/or immigration official at the U.S. port-of-entry.

Western Union Quick Pay Option: To pay the SEVIS fee through Western Union Quick Pay and obtain the required receipt for payment, you must do the following:

(1) print out and bring a copy of the SEVIS Form I-901 fee payment by Western Union Quick Pay instructions along with a copy of the sample form, Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, and the $100.00 SEVIS fee, to a local participating Western Union Agent location (instructions and sample form can be found online: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm; the nearest Western Union Agent location can be found online: http://www.payment-solutions.com/agent.asp);

(2) request and complete the Blue Form at the Western Union Agent location according to the instructions provided on the SEVIS website (http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/wu_instr.htm);

(3) submit the Blue Form and $100.00 SEVIS fee to the Western Union Agent who will transmit the payment and information on your behalf; and

(4) obtain the properly completed Western Union receipt for your records and for submission of your F-1 or J-1 visa application.

Mail payment option To pay the SEVIS fee by mail and to obtain the required receipt for payment, you must do the following:

(1) use the attached Form I-901 or download and print Form I-901, available at www.fmjfee.com;

(2) complete Form I-901 (please make sure to write your name and other required information exactly as it appears on your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019) and prepare a check drawn on a financial institution in the U.S. or international money order in the amount of $100.00, payable to the “Department of Homeland Security;”

(3) write your SEVIS ID number (number starts with letter “N,” followed by 10 digits, found on the upper right of your Form I-20 or Form DS-2019) and name on your check or money order and attach it to Form I-901 before mailing it;

(4) mail the completed Form I-901 and payment to I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee, P.O. Box 970020, St. Louis, MO 63197-0020, or, for expedited delivery of your payment, mail the completed Form I-901 and payment to I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee, 1005 Convention Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63101, United States, Phone number: 1-314-418-8833 (U.S. country code: 011); and

(5) wait for Form I-797 receipt notice for your records and for submission to the U.S. consular official and/or immigration official at the U.S. port-of-entry.

Please note that payment coupons are generated only when you fill in your Form I-901 online and choose to pay by check or money order, in which case you should print out and mail in the coupon with your payment.  You will not need to fill in a paper Form I-901 as well.  When your payment is received at the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the coupon will be used to match your payment to the information you entered.

For detailed and helpful information on the SEVIS fee, required Form I-901 information, payment options, processing times and other related issues, please read the information provided through the SEVP website: http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq.htm.

Certain J-1 exchange visitors may be subject to the two-year residence requirement and will be notified of such at the time of the consular interview or upon receipt of the J-1 exchange visitor visa.  If the consular official approves your F-1 or J-1 visa application, the official will return Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 to you, and you should present it again to a U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (BCBP) officer at your port-of-entry to the U.S. along with your SEVIS fee receipt.

You cannot enter the U.S. on a B-2 (tourist) visa and expect to change to F-1 or J-1visa status after you arrive.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will likely deny this request and you will have to leave the U.S. to obtain a proper visa.  Also, you cannot enter the U.S. on a visa waiver and change F-1 or J-1 status after your arrival.  Persons who enter the U.S. on a visa waiver are not eligible for change of status in the U.S.

Whether you pay online with a credit card, in person through the Western Union Quick Pay service, or by mail through of check or money order, please note that the website dedicated to the I-901 fee (www.fmjfee.com) allows you to verify online that your SEVIS I-901 fee payment has been received and when the official receipt for the payment was issued.