Do not pay for or submit any form until USCIS updates official TPS re-registration information for your country. Stay updated at uscis.gov/TPS.

Beware of emails supposedly sent by the USCIS New Delhi Field Office or the Department of State in India. These emails may contain attachments, claim you have been approved for a visa to the U.S., or request money for visa processing. Emails like that may be scams because:

• Emails from the U.S. government always end in the domain“.gov”;
• USCIS will never send an email indicating you’ve been approved for a diversity visa, immigrant visa, nonimmigrant visa, or any other type of immigration benefit; and
• USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual (see Payments by Phone or Email).

Please visit the Department of State’s website on fraud warnings for additional information.

In many Latin American countries, the term “notario publico” (which is Spanish for “notary public”) means something very different than what it means in the United States. In many Spanish-speaking nations, “notarios” are powerful attorneys with special legal credentials. In the U.S., however, notary publics are people appointed by state governments to witness the signing of important documents and administer oaths. A notario publico is not authorized to provide you with any legal services related to immigration. Only an attorney or an accredited representative working for a Department of Justice (DOJ)-recognized organization can give you legal advice. For more information, go to the Recognition & Accreditation Program page on DOJ’s website.

USCIS will never ask you to transfer money to an individual. We do not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, PayPal, or gift cards as payment for immigration fees. In addition, we will never ask you to pay fees to a person on the phone or by email. You can pay some immigration fees online, but only if you pay through your USCIS online account and Pay.gov.

Remember, you can learn more on our Paying USCIS Fees page.

USCIS does not manage the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program. This program is managed by the U.S. Department of State (State Department). The DV Program is also known as the visa lottery.

Visit the State Department’s website to learn more about the program, the requirements to enter, and how they notify selectees. Remember that the DV Program is free and the State Department will never send you an email about being selected.

Some websites claim to be affiliated with USCIS and offer step-by-step guidance on completing a USCIS application or petition. Make sure your information is from uscis.gov or is affiliated with uscis.gov. Make sure the website address ends with .gov.

Please remember that we will never ask you to pay to download USCIS forms. Our forms are always free on our website. You can also get forms at your local USCIS office. To order forms by mail, follow these instructions in English or Spanish.

Beware of companies offering a job from overseas or by email. If you receive a suspicious job offer by email before you leave your country to come to the U.S., it may be a scam, especially if you are asked to pay money to receive a job offer.

Even if a job offer is legitimate, you are not allowed to work in the United States unless you have a permanent resident card (Green Card), an Employment Authorization Document (work permit) or an employment-related visa which allows you to work for a particular employer. Read the Working in the U.S. page. 

If you are already in the United States on a student visa, talk with your foreign student advisor (designated school official) at your school before you take any job. If you are about to graduate and are applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT), read the instructions on the Working in the U.S. page.

If you are an international student outside of the U.S. and want to come to the U.S. for education, make sure you are applying to an accredited college or university. Look for your school on the Council for Higher Education web page.

You must have a Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, to travel. After you are accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school, a designated school official will either give you:

• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status –For Academic and Language Students, or
• Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status –For Vocational Students

Schools that are not accredited cannot sponsor you for an F-1 student visa.

Additional information on the Form I-20 is available on DHS’ website studyinthestates.dhs.gov or on our website on the Students and Employment page.

Sometimes businesses and websites pretend to be immigration experts or say they have special connections to the government. They might also “guarantee” that you can get a visa, Green Card, or work permit faster if you pay a fee. Remember, USCIS has no exceptions to the normal processing times and no one can obtain these services faster than the usual process. Check case processing times online.