New SEVIS Fee in Effect September 1, 2004

The Department of Homeland Security began collection September 1 of a fee for students and scholars on F-1 and J-1 visas.  The SEVIS system, an Immigration web-based tracking system, was implemented after September 11, 2003.  SEVIS documents include above the barcode in the upper right corner.  Every F-1 and J-1 student and scholar, and their dependents, must have a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS 2019) that bears this barcode.  Failure to have one indicates the person is not in good immigration status.

Here are some answers to questions you might have about who must pay this fee.  Most current UTSA students will not have to pay this fee if they continue their studies uninterrupted and remain in good status with Immigration.  New students coming into the U.S. for the spring semester and thereafter will have to pay the fee.

Who Pays the SEVIS Fee?

- Prospective students with “initial attendance” I-20s dated on or after 9/1/2004 who are applying for an “initial ” F-1 visa from outside the US

- Prospective students with “initial attendance” I-20s dated on or after 9/1/2004 who are applying for a change to F-1 status from another visa category

- Current F-1 students in the US filing for reinstatement after being out of status more than 5 months, and who are issued an I-20 issued for reinstatement that is dated on or after 9/1/04

   You will need to pay the SEVIS fee if you were issued a Form I-20 on or after September 1, 2004 AND one of the following conditions applies:

- You are seeking an F-1 or F-3 visa from a United States embassy or consulate for first-time attendance in a language training program.  In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE visa issuance.

- You hold a valid F-1 or F-3 visa, have been absent from the United States for a period of more than 5 months (not working on your studies during this time with the prior approval of your school), and will re-enter the U.S. for a new program of study.  In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE re-entry to the U.S.

- As a resident of a contiguous territory or adjacent island, you are exempt from the visa requirement (for example, you are a citizen of Canada or Bermuda), and will apply for admission at port-of-entry to begin initial attendance at a U.S. school.  In this case, the SEVIS fee must be paid BEFORE entry to the U.S.

Do I have to pay the fee if I travel outside the US?

If you travel outside the U.S. for more than a 5-month period, then you will need to pay the fee.  If you travel outside for less than a 5-month period, you do not need to pay the fee.

If you are a continuing student, you will not need to pay the fee, even if you have to renew your visa stamp.