If you are immigrating to the United States and will be admitted as a lawful permanent resident, you must pay the $165 USCIS Immigrant Fee. You will need to use the USCIS Electronic Immigration System to pay this fee. We strongly encourage you to pay this fee after you receive your immigrant visa packet from the U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad (including Canada and Mexico) and before you depart for the United States. Paying before you depart for the United States will ensure that you receive your Permanent Resident Card (commonly referred to as a Green Card) without delay.

What is the USCIS Immigrant Fee?

The USCIS Immigrant Fee is $165. USCIS uses this fee to process your immigrant visa packet once you arrive in the United States. The fee also covers the cost for USCIS to produce your Green Card. Please Note: You have to pay separate fees to the Department of State (DOS) and USCIS. You must pay your immigrant visa application fees to DOS and your USCIS Immigrant Fee ($165) to USCIS.

How do I pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee?

1. Attend your appointment at a U.S. Embassy or consulate • Receive a handout that explains how to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee. Please keep this document with your records because it contains your personal immigration information. • At the top of the handout, you will find your: ° Alien Registration Number (the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 numbers. For example: “A0123456789”); and ° DOS Case ID (3 letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers. For example: “ABC1234567890”) Please note: For Diversity Visa (DV) immigrants, the DOS Case ID will have 4 numbers followed by 2 letters followed by 5 numbers. For example: “1234XY12345.” • Receive your sealed immigrant visa packet. 2. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee • Go to www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis to review USCIS online filing resources. • Select “Log in.” • Next, select “USCIS Immigrant Fee.” • Enter your Alien Registration Number and DOS Case ID, found at the top of your USCIS Immigrant Fee handout. If you are paying for additional family members, you can add their Alien Registration Numbers and DOS Case IDs. • Provide a valid credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express, or Discover Card), debit card, or U.S. bank checking account information (account number and bank routing number). If you are unable to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee yourself, you may choose someone to pay the fee for you. For example: a family member, friend, employer, attorney, or accredited representative.

What happens after you arrive in the United States?
1. Arrive with your Immigrant Visa Packet at U.S. Port of Entry • You are admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 2. Receive your Green Card (Form I-551) • After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will verify that you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee and mail your Green Card to the U.S. address you provided to DOS at the time of your immigrant visa interview or to CBP when you were admitted to the United States. • If USCIS does not have a record showing you paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a notice with instructions on how to pay the fee. • If you paid the fee before coming to the United States and do not receive your Green Card within 45 days after being admitted to the U.S., please contact us through our online help form at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/contactus. • You can also schedule an InfoPass appointment with your local office if you have a question or need further assistance with your case. To make an InfoPass appointment, go to https://infopass.uscis.gov.
What should I do if I move to another U.S. address after I arrive in the United States?
• USCIS will only mail your Green Card to the U.S. mailing address you provide to the Department of State at the time of your immigrant visa interview or to the CBP officer when you are admitted to the United States. If you plan on living at a different U.S. address immediately after you enter the United States, please give that address to the CBP officer to ensure that your card arrives at your new home. • If you move after you arrive in the United States, please update your address with USCIS by visiting www.uscis.gov/addresschange or by calling the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283. Also, we recommend that you update your address with the U.S. Postal Service by visiting your local U.S. post office or online at www.usps.com/umove • All foreign nationals (permanent residents and children included) are required to report any change in address within ten (10) days to CIS using Form AR11. Foreign nationals must report address changes to CIS by completing this form and sending it to CIS. The form can be obtained from the CIS website at: www.uscis.gov/ar-11
Tips on paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee
1.Anyone may pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee for you. This includes attorneys, accredited representatives, family members, friends, and employers. 2.A-Number. If your Alien Registration Number is fewer than 9 digits, insert a zero after the “A” and before the first digit to create a 9-digit number. For example: “A12345678” would become “A012345678”. 3.Navigating on Your Computer While Paying the Fee. Do not use your computer’s “Back” button when paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee. This may cause errors. Instead, use the navigation buttons in the system to go forward or backwards. 4. Submitting Your Payment. Click on the “Submit Payment” button only one time for each USCIS Immigrant Fee you are paying. If you click the button more than one time, you may end up paying the fee multiple times. 5.Online Payments Only. You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online. USCIS will not accept payments by mail. 6.Print a Copy for Your Records. We recommend that you If you are unable to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before you leave to come to the United States, you must pay this fee after you are admitted to the United States. If USCIS does not have a record showing you paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee, USCIS will send you a notice with instructions on how to pay the fee. Please Note: You will not receive your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee. If DOS issued you an immigrant visa and you are applying for admission to the United States, you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee unless you are exempt. DOS will notify you if you are exempt from paying the fee. The following immigrants generally are exempt from paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee: • Children who enter the United States under either the Orphan or Hague adoption programs; • Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants; • Returning residents (SB-1s); and • Individuals who are issued K visas.
What happens if I fail to pay the fee?
USCIS will not issue your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant Fee. Once the fee is paid, USCIS will process your payment and issue you a Green Card. After you arrive in the United States, you will receive a stamp in your passport that validates your admission as a lawful permanent resident. The stamp is valid for 1 year. Once this stamp expires, you will need your Green Card as evidence of your lawful permanent resident status. For more information on the USCIS Immigrant Fee, please visit www.uscis.gov/ImmigrantFee and www.uscis.gov/uscis-elis.
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By Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, LLP | Published September 4, 2015 | Posted in USCIS Notices | Tagged Alien Registration Number, for legal US residents, immigrant fees, legal US residents

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FAQs

Q: My employer wants to sponsor me to get a green card – can they?
If you entered the United States without visa and are working here without legal documentation, your employer may be able to help you. But it’s important to understand that just because your employer wants to help doesn’t mean you will be able to obtain a green card. The process for obtaining a green card is complicated and depends on many factors, including your prior history (and your family’s prior history) in the United States. So it’s good that your employer wants to help but the first step is to call us for an interview so we can understand more about your situation.
Q: How can I get a work permit?
A work permit is a common way of referring to an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which is issued by the Immigration Service (which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security). Under U.S. law, you need a work permit or EAD in order to become a legal employee of a U.S. company. Many lawyers will promise to get you a work permit, but you have to be careful about this. The catch is that you can’t simply apply for a work permit or EAD in itself. In order to apply for a work permit you have to make an application for legal status in this country on some other basis. Don’t believe any other lawyer or person who tells you it’s an easy thing to get a work permit. Call us for an interview and we can explain to you how the process and immigration laws in the United States really work.
Q: Can I apply for deferred action now?
As a result of the injunction issued by the District Court in Texas, applications for the expanded DACA program and DAPA are currently on hold. The Department of Homeland Security is not currently accepting requests for the expansion of DACA, as originally planned. Until further notice, it has suspended the plan to accept requests for DAPA.
Q: Does the new executive order or court injunction change Deferred Action protection under existing DACA?
The Court’s order does not affect the existing DACA. Individuals may continue to come forward and request initial grant of DACA or renewal of DACA pursuant to the guidelines established in 2012. This ruling only delays the start of DAPA and the expansion of DACA.
Q: Who can I contact for more help or information?
It’s important that you speak with a qualified attorney who can explain all the options and issues relating to your immigration status. Do not take advice about your immigration case from a notary public or an immigration consultant. The U.S. immigration laws and rules are very complicated and many people take advantage of undocumented immigrants, making promises and charging money without providing honest advice. Contact only a qualified immigration lawyer for legal advice about your case. If you encounter 'notarios' who offer legal advice without a license, report it.
Q; What should I do now?
You can begin preparing now! Even though DHS is not currently accepting applications under DAPA or the expanded DACA programs, individuals who are potentially eligible for Deferred Action status should begin preparing their applications now. It is very likely that the Texas decision will be overturned and there will probably be a rush of applicants when that happens. Individuals should be ready with their applications and start now by gathering the necessary documentation and seeking good counsel to give themselves the best chance for success and to avoid potential problems.
Q: I haven’t seen my mother since I came to the U.S. 10 years ago. Can I apply for a visa so she can join me here?
If you are a U.S. citizen or have a Green Card, then yes, you can apply for a visa for your family members. But the process can take a long of time, depending on your own status. If you’re a U.S. citizen, it might take 8 months to a year to process the application. The waiting time will be much longer if you’re a Green Card holder. Generally, the sooner you start the process the better, so contact one of our attorneys now to get started or browse our site to learn more about the different types of visas available for family members.
Q: My grandma is sick back home – can I go visit her?
Whether you can travel abroad depends on your immigration status. If you have been granted DACA or if you have a Green Card in hand – you still must ask for advanced permission in order to leave the country. This is called advanced parole. Obtaining advance parole is relatively inexpensive. But it is not without risk, because there is really no way to guarantee that you will be able to return. Your return is ultimately within the discretion of the authorities at the point of your reentry to the U.S.
Q: Can our company sponsor an employee to get a green card?
If one of your employees entered the United States without visa and is working here without legal documentation, you may be able to help this person obtain legal immigration status. This doesn’t necessarily mean they will be able to obtain a green card. The process for obtaining a green card is complicated and depends on many factors, including a person’s prior history (and their family’s prior history) in the United States. It’s definitely helpful to their case if you, as their employer, are willing to help, but the first step is to have the employee call us for an interview so we can understand more about their situation.
Q: What is a work permit?
A work permit is a common way of referring to an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which is issued by the Immigration Service (which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security). Under U.S. law, an employee needs a work permit or EAD in order to become a legal employee of a U.S. company. Many lawyers will promise to get undocumented immigrants work permit. But you have to be careful about this. The catch is that you can’t simply apply for a work permit or EAD in itself. In order to apply for a work permit a person must make an application for legal status in this country on some other basis. So don’t let your employees get gulled into believing that it’s easy to get a work permit by some lawyer or hustler on the street corner. Call us for an interview and so we can explain to your employees how the process and the immigration laws in the United States really work.

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