The SEVIS fee is a fee required of all foreign nationals who come to the United States for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study. It is paid one time for each continuous, uninterrupted period of F-1 or J-1 status. The fee funds the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information system) . For F-1 students, the SEVIS fee is $350. You must pay the SEVIS fee if you are:

• Applying for a visa as a new student beginning an academic program with an I-20
• Applying to change your status to F-1 from another nonimmigrant status while in the United States
• Filing for reinstatement after being out of status while in the United States for more than five months
• Traveling to the United States in F-1 status as a Canadian citizen

You can pay the SEVIS fee online or by mail, and it can be paid by you or by a third party, from inside or outside the United States. The fee must be accompanied by Form I-901. F-2 or J-2 dependents (spouse and/or children) of the F-1 or J-1 student do not have to pay the fee.