New Green Card Fee After Visa Issuance

January 11, 2013

All Immigrant Visa Applicants Should Pay $165 USCIS Immigrant Fee After They Receive the Immigrant Visa and Before They Depart For the United States

Foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa will need to pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee beginning February 1, 2013.

The new fee of $165 was established in USCIS’s final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010

Any individual who on or after February 1, 2013 receives an immigrant visa package from a United States consulate or embassy abroad (including Canada and Mexico) will pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

K visa applicants, SQ visa applicants, SB-1 (Approved Returning Resident) Applicants and children admitted into the United States under the Orphan or Hague Adoptions Process are currently exempt from paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

When and How to Pay the Fee

Applicants must pay this fee online through the USCIS website. Applicants should submit payments after they receive their visa package from the Embassy and before they depart for the United States.

Applicants can electronically submit the fee by answering the questions on the USCIS website by providing their:

• checking account information, or
• debit or credit card information. 

All check payments must be drawn on a U.S. bank. 

If the applicant is unable to make this payment, another person can make this payment on the applicant’s behalf.

Failure to Pay

The applicant will not receive a green card until the required USCIS Immigrant fee is paid.

Failure to pay does not affect the lawful status of the applicant. The applicant will have their passport stamped showing their lawful admission and permanent resident status. This stamp is valid for one year but it is strongly advised that new permanent residents pay the immigrant fee as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving their Permanent Resident Card.

For more information please visit the USCIS website.