How to Pay SEVIS Fee in Nigeria

SEVIS is an acronym for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. It is a system that was set up for individuals that have plans of moving to the United States to study. It is maintained by the student and exchange visitor program (SEVP). SEVIS came into existence in 2004 after all exchange visitors and international students were mandated to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee by Congress. This fee should not be mistaken for visa fee as its primary duty is to fund the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.

With SEVIS, it is possible for program sponsors, as well as schools,  to transfer event notifications, as well as important information to DOS and the department of Homeland Security (DHS) as long as a student from outside the United States remains in the U.S. These notifications are usually transferred through the internet.

As a student that is looking to study in the United States, you have to pay a SEVIS fee. After making this payment, before going ahead to have a visa interview, you have to get a receipt which stands as a confirmation for payments already made. While this receipt is important for your interview to take place, its importance does not just stop at your interview, when making your way into the United States, you will also need to present this receipt. There are situations in which program sponsors make SEVIS fee a segment of the program fees.

When looking to pay SEVIS fees in Nigeria, you are allowed to make your payment not later than three business days before your visa interview is scheduled to take place. That, however, should not determine when you make payment. Sometimes it takes a little time for the Department of Homeland Security to upgrade your electronic SEVIS record. So, to ensure that you have enough time on your hands, it is important that you make payment immediately you get FORM DS-2019.

If you are making a transfer to a fresh J sponsor, are J-2 dependent or are in a J-1 immigration status, you will not need a SEVIS fee. A SEVIS fee is only needed if you are to get a fresh J-1 visa.

Cost of SEVIS fee in Nigeria

For Camp Counsellor, Summer Work/Travel, and Au Pair, the cost of SEVIS Fee is $35. However, for other international students, see the table below. If you do not need a visa to get into the United States as an exchange visitor, you will still have to pay a SEVIS Fee. But, if you are a participant of a program that is sponsored by the Federal government of Nigeria and the program number begins with G-1, G-2, G-3 or G-7, you do not need to pay SEVIS fee.

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When paying SEVIS Fee in Nigeria, there are no hard and fast rules to who exactly pays the SEVIS Fee. What really matters is the details that are filled in while the payment is being made. This implies that payments can be made by the participant in this program or by another individual that is either inside or outside the United States.

To make your SEVIS Fee count, it is vital that you type your name just the way it is in your SEVIS for DS-2019 when filling your details in the Form 1-901.

Methods to pay for SEVIS Fee in Nigeria

When looking to pay for SEVIS fee in Nigeria, there are various ways you can go about making payments. Also, each method you decide to make use of when paying SEVIS fee has various steps.

That being said, let us go through some of the ways to pay SEVIS fee in Nigeria.

Make Payment Online

This can be said to be the most trusted way to pay SEVIS fee in Nigeria. One reason this method is highly recommended is when followed, it is possible to print a temporary receipt as soon as payment is successfully made. To get this done, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Go to FMJFee.com. Once on this site, fill Form I-901 on the internet

Step 2: After filling Form I-901, get it submitted electronically. After doing this, go ahead and make payment. You can do this with the use of a MasterCard, American Express, or Visa Card

Step 3: This is the final step in paying SEVIS fee online. It is the point where you print a temporary receipt. This printed receipt can be used as a proof that payment has been made pending the time you get a permanent receipt.

Make Payment through Western Union

There are no hitches associated with paying SEVIS fee in Nigeria through the use of Western Union. With Western Union, you can make payment, as well as transmit the Form I-901. To get this done follow the following steps.

Step 1: Go to a Western Union Agent that is located close to you and make your payments in naira.

Step 2: The next thing to do is to completely fill a Blue form. On this form, you might come across such things as ‘Quick Pay’ or ‘Payment Service’. If you do not come across any of these, you will come across something that is quite similar to these. What you should bear in mind is any of these details you come across will be written in blue. When filling the “Blue Form”, ensure you leave no stone unturned. Also, it is vital that you fill it just like the already downloaded sample.

Step 3: Keep the receipt obtained from this transaction. It will play the role of a proof of payment until you get a formal receipt. All things being equal, you will get a formal receipt about three business days after payment is made. To have access to this official receipt, you will have to go to FMJFee.com three business days after you make payments. Once on this site, you will notice a confirmation of payment. Go ahead and print this page.

Make Payment through Mail

To pay SEVIS fee through mail-in Nigeria, follow the steps below.

Step 1: The first thing to do when making payment through mail is to fill form I-901

Step 2: Put together a money order or a check. This money order has to be in U.S dollars and should be drawn on a bank that is based in the United States. Before making payment, ensure that you have your name, as well as SEVIS identification number written on the money order of the check.

Step 3: Send the payment alongside the form via mail to Courier/express mail:

I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee

1005 Convention Plaza

St.Loius, MO 63101

Regular mail

I-901 Student/Exchange Visitor Processing Fee

P.O Box 970020

St. Louis, MO 63197-0020

Instructions for Making SEVIS Fee Payment

Everyone that pays the SEVIS Fee will receive a receipt. There is a huge likelihood for this receipt to be on Form l-797. Also, this receipt will be gotten after payment has been processed for a period of about three business days. That’s not all. Once the payment of SEVIS fee gets approved, an official receipt will be forwarded to the address which was provided when filing Form I-901. This is usually done by airmail.

Although when SEVIS fee is successfully made, it is certain that a receipt will be sent. That, however, might take more time than you are prepared to spare. With this in mind, you can ask for expedited courier delivery. This can be done by simply requesting it when filling Form-I901. If you take this route, you will have to pay an extra $35 when paying your SEVIS fee. Couriers do not make deliveries to P.O Boxes. The implication of this is for this method of delivery to be effective, you will have to provide a street address alongside a working phone number.

It is also worthy to note that once a SEVIS fee payment is made, you will not get your money back if you have a change of mind as SEVIS fees are not refundable. While this might not sound like good news, if you pay a SEVIS fee and you did not get a J-1 visa, when reapplying for a J-1 via after a period of 12 months, there will be no need to pay another SEVIS fee.

There are lots of challenges associated with paying SEVIS fee in Nigeria. Due to this, it is best to work with service fee payment agents as this is one way to pay SEVIS fee in Nigeria without going through so many challenges.

Challenges Associated With Paying SEVIS Fee in Nigeria

If you must successfully pay SEVIS fee in Nigeria, it is important that you know about the challenges that are associated with paying SEVIS Fee in Nigeria. Armed with a knowledge of these challenges, it will be a lot easy for you to avoid them.

There are two major challenges associated with paying SEVIS Fees in Nigeria. These challenges are;

• Issues of credit card fraud
• The failure of banks in Nigeria to carry out Western Union Payments or give out International Checks for the sake of SEVIS fees.