Foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa from the Department of State need to pay the $165 USCIS immigrant fee online before departing for the United States, a change that was only enacted during the past year. The fee must be paid online using USCIS ELIS, and you may pay for yourself and for any family members who will live with you in the United States. Only the immigrant may open a USCIS ELIS account to pay the fee — attorney, accredited representatives, and employers are not authorized to create a USCIS ELIS account on your behalf to pay the fee.
In order to complete the electronic payment, you will need to provide:
- Your Alien number (A-Number) and your Department of State (DOS) Case ID number.
- If you pay for your family members, you must have their A-Numbers, DOS Case ID numbers and correct biographic information.
- You also will need to provide a valid credit or debit card or, if you choose to have money taken directly from your bank account, a checking account number and the routing number for your U.S. bank.
- Below is the process for paying your USCIS Immigrant Fee:
Receive Alien number (A-Number), DOS Case ID (3 letters with 9 or 10 numbers), and sealed visa packet from U.S. Embassy.
- Go to uscis.gov/uscis-elis and follow the directions to create an online account. Select “USCIS Immigrant Fee” and include your personal information.
- Pay the $165 USCIS immigrant fee using a valid credit or debit card, or U.S. bank checking account and routing numbers. You can pay the fee for all family members in one transaction.
- Travel to the U.S.
- Arrive with Immigrant Visa Packet at Port of Entry. You are admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.
- Receive Green Card. After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will verify payment of the USCIS immigrant fee and mail your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to the address you provided to DOS at the time of your immigrant visa interview or to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the time of your admission.
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