A huge number of people plan to study, visit or even move to the United States every year which is not as easy as it looks and people struggle with the fulfillment of requirements for the visa process.
In the present, as the world is always under threat by negative forces that undermine peace, therefore the visa process for most of the countries have been scrutinized and hence the Student and Exchange Visitor program has become more active than was ever before.
In this article we will be discussing the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the process through which its fee is to be paid.
About SEVIS
The Student and Exchange visitor Information System (SEVIS) is basically a database through which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security manages foreign students and exchange visitors living in the United States of America. To receive a F, J and M visa, it is necessary for a student or an exchange visitor to have a correct status and information in the SEVIS system. To maintain his/her record one has to pay a certain fee in order to stay on a safer side.
It can into being after the 1993 World trade center bombing in which it was discovered that one of the terrorist named Eyad Ismoil was on an expired student visa.
How to pay SEVIS fee through Western Union?
The non-immigrants i.e. students and exchange visitors who are seeking F, M and J visa status have to pay SEVIS I-901 fee prior to their visa appointment. The student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) offer methods of payments such as Western Union Quick Pay.
This is an acceptable payment method for the SEVIS fee and can be paid from over 130 countries. Following are some payment instructions which one has to follow to make a successful payment.
- After filling out the online SEVIS (I-901) form, a payment coupon will be generated.
- Print the coupon and take it to the Western Union’s agent location or go their Quick Pay Website.
- The sender will be provided with a Quick Pay form in which he has to enter the required information like, Company name (SEVISFEE or SEVIS FEE MO), Account Number and amount to be paid. (The amount can vary according to the visa type).
- At last, the coupon and payment will have to be presented to the Western Union’s agent for processing.
Finally, the payment will be linked to the SEVIS (I-901) form and the confirmation of the online payment will be available within a few seconds. Once the payment has been made successfully, one can go for the visa appointment within 2 to 3 days.
Can fees be paid after the visa interview?
The fee payment is only made once the I-20 form is issued. This form basically proves that the person is legally enrolled in a program of study in the United States. However, fee cannot be paid after the visa interview; it should be paid before going for the visa interview.
How much is the SEVIS fee?
There is a certain amount of payment which has to be made as a fee for SEVIS and it varies according to the Visa type, normally the amount is said to be $350.
Is SEVIS fee refundable?
Unfortunately, the fee which has been paid to SEVIS can never be refunded unless it is paid by mistake. Even if one has not been issued a visa such that the visa has been declined or if the person has changed his mind not to visit the United States, still the fee is non-refundable.
