What Is the SEVIS I-901 Fee

The SEVIS I-901 fee is a payment many international students and exchange visitors must make before applying for a U.S. visa. You usually pay it after your school or program gives you an I-20 or DS-2019. It is separate from the fee paid for the visa application itself.

The name can be confusing because people use several terms for the same payment: SEVIS fee, I-901 fee, and I-901 SEVIS fee. In this guide, those names mean the payment made through Form I-901.

What the SEVIS I-901 fee is

SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is the system connected with records for international students and exchange visitors in covered visa categories.

Form I-901 is used to send the required SEVIS payment. The fee supports the government program that manages these student and exchange visitor records. Congress required the fee as part of the process for prospective international students and exchange visitors.

Your school or exchange program normally creates your record first. Once your information is ready, the school gives you an I-20 if you are applying in a student category such as F-1, or a DS-2019 if you are applying as a J-1 exchange visitor.

Those documents provide the information you need for the payment. That is why you generally should not try to pay before receiving the correct document.

Is the SEVIS fee the same as the I-901 fee?

Yes. SEVIS fee and I-901 fee are two names for the same payment.

The “I-901” part comes from the form used to make the payment. The “SEVIS” part describes the system and program connected with the fee.

You may see the payment described in different ways on school instructions, visa guidance, or online forms, including:

• SEVIS fee
• I-901 fee
• I-901 SEVIS fee
• SEVIS I-901 payment

These labels do not usually mean separate charges. Check the visa category shown on your immigration document before paying, because the required amount depends on that category.

Who needs to pay the fee

Form I-901 is used for prospective applicants in these categories:

• F-1 students
• F-3 students
• M-1 students
• M-3 students
• J-1 exchange visitors

The most common situations involve an F-1 student attending a college, university, language program, or other approved school, or a J-1 exchange visitor taking part in an approved exchange program.

Your category should appear on your immigration document. An F-1 applicant should check the information on the I-20. A J-1 applicant should check the DS-2019.

The fact that someone is traveling to the United States for study or an exchange program does not, by itself, tell you which fee applies. The category on your document matters. If your document, payment instructions, and visa application do not seem to match, ask your school or program sponsor to check the record before you pay.

How much the I-901 fee costs for F-1 and J-1 applicants

The amounts shown in the available search information are:

So, for a typical F-1 student, the SEVIS fee for an F1 visa is listed as $350. For a typical J-1 exchange visitor, the SEVIS fee for J1 is listed as $220.

The amount is tied to your visa category, not simply to your school or country. Do not assume that every student or exchange visitor pays the same amount.

Before using the SEVIS fee payment online system, compare the category on your I-20 or DS-2019 with the category you select during payment. If the amount shown does not fit your category, pause and ask for help rather than guessing.

The SEVIS payment is also described as non-refundable. That makes it especially important to check your details before submitting it.

When to pay after receiving an I-20 or DS-2019

A practical order is:

1. Receive your I-20 or DS-2019.
2. Check your name, category, and identifying information.
3. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee.
4. Save the payment confirmation.
5. Continue with the visa application and interview steps.

One university instruction advises paying after receiving the I-20 or DS-2019 and before the visa interview. That timing gives you the document details needed for the payment and helps you keep the confirmation available for the next part of the process.

Do not treat the I-901 payment as a replacement for the visa application. It is one step in the process. You still need to follow the visa instructions for your category and complete any separate application and interview requirements.

How to pay the SEVIS fee online

Use the official online payment process for Form I-901. Start with the information on your I-20 or DS-2019, and enter it carefully.

The basic process looks like this:

• Choose the payment option for Form I-901.
• Select the visa category that matches your document.
• Enter the requested details from your I-20 or DS-2019.
• Review your name and record information before submitting.
• Pay the amount shown for your category.
• Keep the confirmation information after payment.

The spelling and numbers should match your immigration document. A small error can make it harder to connect the payment with the right SEVIS record or to explain the payment during the visa process.

Your SEVIS I-901 payment confirmation is the record that shows you completed this payment. Save it somewhere you can reach easily. A digital copy is useful, and a printed copy may also help you keep your visa documents together.

If the payment page rejects your information, do not keep changing details at random. Compare your entry with the I-20 or DS-2019, then contact the school or exchange program if something still does not line up.

How the payment confirmation fits into the visa process

The I-901 payment comes before the visa interview in the usual sequence described by the available guidance. The confirmation helps show that you completed the SEVIS payment connected with your student or exchange visitor record.

Keep the confirmation with your other visa paperwork. It does not mean your visa has been approved, and it does not replace the visa application fee.

The available information also does not establish a specific period for how long an I-901 payment remains valid. You may find people online giving a fixed validity rule, but the material available here does not support stating one.

That means you should not rely on an assumed validity period. If your interview is delayed, your school changes, your program changes, or you are unsure whether an older payment can be used, check your payment and SEVIS information through the official status resources and ask your school or program sponsor for guidance.

How the SEVIS fee differs from the consular visa fee

These are separate payments for separate parts of the process.

The SEVIS I-901 fee is connected with your student or exchange visitor record. It is paid through Form I-901. The amounts listed above are $350 for F students and $220 for J exchange visitors.

The consular visa fee is the fee connected with applying for the visa through the U.S. consular process. It is not the same charge.

In simple terms:

• I-901 fee: connected with SEVIS and your student or exchange visitor record.
• Consular visa fee: connected with the visa application.
• Both may be required: paying one does not automatically pay the other.

The SEVIS fee is described as additional to the consular visa fee and non-refundable. Plan for these as separate steps, and follow the instructions for each payment instead of assuming one receipt covers both.

What to check if payment or SEVIS status information is unclear

If you are unsure about your payment, work through the details in this order:

Check the document you received

Look at your I-20 or DS-2019. Confirm the visa category and the identifying information you used for payment.

Check the payment record

Find your I-901 confirmation. Make sure it belongs to your record and that the amount matches the category you were given.

Use the official status-check resources

An I-901 SEVIS status check can help you review available payment or record information. Use the official payment and status-check tools rather than relying on an unofficial calculator, forum post, or old screenshot.

The available information does not give a confirmed validity period for the fee. If you need to know whether a past payment can still be used, check the current official status information and contact your school or program sponsor.

Ask the right office

Your school’s international student office can help with an I-20. Your exchange program sponsor can help with a DS-2019. They can check whether your document details and category are correct.

If the issue concerns the visa application itself, follow the instructions from the relevant consular process. Keep your questions specific: explain which document you received, which category it shows, what amount you paid, and what your confirmation says.

Before the visa interview, confirm your visa category, complete the official I-901 payment, and save your payment confirmation where you can quickly find it.