ICE Increases Fee for International Students, Exchange Visitors, and SEVP-Certified Schools

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) petition and application fees will increase on June 24, 2019. Foreign nationals who enter the United States to pursue educational degrees are admitted as F-1 nonimmigrants. Students on an F-1 Visa have the option of training in the United States by engaging in practical training related to the student’s major or course of study. In short, in some cases, students can work for a period of time after they complete their studies and this study period is called optional practical training. (OPT)

Students are required to provide details related to their employment and adherence to the OPT rules to the Government and this reporting is done through the educational institution.   On March 23, 2018, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) launched the SEVP Portal for students participating in post-completion optional practical training (OPT) to report certain personal and employer information directly to SEVP without the assistance of their designated school official (DSO). To learn more about the SEVP portal and F1 visa, please click here.

Please see chart below for a breakdown of the current and final fee amounts.