Expansion of USCIS application fee payment options

Previously, USCIS application fees could only be paid in two ways:

1. Per US check (issued by a US bank), which is attached to the application documents or
2. Per US Money Order; here too, proof of payment must be attached to the application.

Only for a very small number of application procedures, such as naturalization procedures (=Naturalization) the fee could be arranged by credit card payment.

The fee charged by the USCIS can usually be found in the respective application form for the corresponding procedure.

The USCIS has announced that the payment options for Application fees finally be further extended and can now be paid by credit card for all application procedures and at all service centers.
Whether a fee for a particular application can actually be paid by credit card depends on the type of application and the corresponding application form at the USCIS. To be on the safe side, this should always be checked again in advance.
To use the payment option an extra form (G-1450) must be completed and attached to the application authorizing the credit card transaction.

As part of a pilot program, USCIS has gradually introduced the credit card payment option over the past few years. Initially, this was only possible at certain service centers and for a few forms, and has now been approved for all application procedures.
The goal of this pilot is to bring USCIS one step closer to accepting digital payments by credit card at all service centers.

The payment method is currently only possible with U.S. credit cards, so it is only of limited use for payments from Germany or Europe.

How does the credit card payment work?

Applicants wishing to make payment by credit card must fill in the form in advance.G-1450 "Authorization for Credit Card Transactions"and attach it to the application documents - only the credit card details are recorded there. Upon receipt of the application, the USCIS will enter this data into the online system Pay.gov of the U.S. Department of Treasury automatically transferred. For data protection reasons, the paper form G-1450 is then destroyed.

First, check if it is possible to pay the USCIS fee by credit card. The U.S. Immigration Service only accepts the following credit cards:

• VISA
• MasterCard
• American Express
• Discover

Applicants and credit card holders do not have to be identical.

Find out in good time and on a daily basis which form of payment is suitable for your USCIS application. Not only the application fees, but also the payment methods of the US authorities are subject to change again and again. Incorrect payment usually leads to the USCIS refusing to accept your application and thus to considerable delays in your application. Therefore, play it safe and use our comprehensive US Visa Service for your next USCIS petition.

Contact us now!