How you pay your USCIS filing fees (including biometrics and other fees) will depend on whether you are inside or outside of the United States.

If you live outside the United States or its territories

If you live outside the United States or its territories and you want to file your application or petition where you live, go to the Forms section of our website to determine if you can file your form at an international office. Please note that not all forms of payment are accepted abroad. See the webpage of the international USCIS office where you wish to file or contact the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate for information on how to pay USCIS fees.

If you are inside the United States

Depending on the form you are submitting, you may pay your fees online, by mail, or in person at a USCIS field office. You may pay by check or card.

Please remember to submit the correct biometric services fees when you file your form.  We will reject your form if we receive it without the correct biometric services fee, as specified in the form instructions.

Paying with a Check

You may pay fees with bank drafts, cashier's checks, certified checks, personal checks, and money orders must be drawn on U.S. financial institutions and payable in U.S. funds.

Generally, you must mail your check or money order together with your application form. For some forms, you may be able to file your application and pay the fees in person at a domestic USCIS field office. Refer to the form instructions for more information. Also, some offices will no longer accept money orders or cashier’s checks, such as Los Angeles Field Office. Please see our News page for updates.

If you are paying your fees by check, please be aware of the following:

• Authorization for an Electronic Funds Transfer: By submitting your check, you authorize USCIS to convert your check into an electronic fund transfer. We will use the account information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer from your checking account for the amount of the check. If the transfer cannot occur for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy of your original check through normal paper check procedures.
• Insufficient Funds: The electronic fund transfer from your account can occur faster than normal processing for a paper check. If your check or other financial instrument is returned as unpayable, we will resubmit the payment one time. If it is returned as unpayable a second time, we will reject your filing and we will charge you a $30 returned check fee.

How to Write Your Check

Personal checks must be pre-printed with the name of the bank and the account holder. Also, the account holder’s address and phone number must be pre-printed, typed, or written in ink on the check. All checks must be typed or written in ink.  

1. ​​​​​Write the date you are filling out the check. Use the U.S. style of month/day/year. (Example: January 4, 2017 or 1/4/17, but not 4/1/17.)
2. On the "Pay to the Order of" line, write  "U.S. Department of Homeland Security” (not “USDHS” or “DHS”). 
3. Write in numbers the exact dollar amount of the fee for the service you are requesting. In the example, the amount is "$725.00."
4. Spell out the exact dollar amount of the fee.  The "cents" portion of the amount should be written as a fraction over 100.  In this example, the amount is "Seven hundred twenty-five and 00/100."
5. Write a brief description of the purpose of your payment. In this example, it is "N-400 application and biometric services fee." Include the applicant’s name on the memo line if it is not on the check itself (for example, if you are paying the fee for your child).
6. Sign the check using your legal name.

Pay With a Credit Card

Whether you mail your form or file online, you can pay your fees with a credit card, debit card, or pre-paid card.

Acceptable Credit Cards

You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Make sure the card has enough money to cover the fee. We will reject your application, petition, or request if the card is declined, and we will not attempt to process your credit card payment a second time.

If You File Online

If you file your form online, our online system will guide you through the process of paying your fees online with a credit, debit, or pre-paid card. Once you are ready to submit your form, the system will direct you to pay.gov to pay your fees online.

We only use pay.gov to process fees. Always check the website address before you pay. Beware of scam websites and scammers who may pretend to be a USCIS website.

If You File by Mail

If you mail your form to a USCIS Lockbox facility, you may pay your fees with a credit card. To do so, follow these steps: 

1. Complete and sign Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions.
2. Place the form on top of your application, petition, or request.
3. Mail the entire package to the appreciate USCIS Lockbox.

If we accept your filing, we will:

• Charge your credit card for the proper amount.
• Destroy your Form G-1450 to protect your credit card information (we will destroy it even if we reject your filing and do not process your payment). 

You will see a charge from USCIS on your credit card statement.

For general filing information, see Form Filing Tips.