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How to pay USCIS petition filing fees for O-1, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW in 2026: G-1450, G-1650, Asylum Fee
USCIS petition payment guide 2026: How to pay filing fees for I-129 (O-1), I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW). G-1450 credit card, G-1650 ACH debit. Money order discontinued October 2025. Asylum Program Fee. Pay.gov. Phoenix Lockbox payment processing.
How to pay the USCIS fee for filing I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW) or I-129 (O-1). As of October 28, 2025 USCIS has fully stopped accepting checks and money orders for paper filings. Now only electronic payment: credit card via Form G-1450 or debit from a U.S. bank account via G-1650. Will USCIS try to re-debit if the bank declined? How much is the Asylum Program Fee? Which method is more reliable? Answers below.
Contents
Current as of April 2026. USCIS rules may change. Always check current information on uscis.gov before filing.
Official USCIS pages:
- Filing fees information page
- Addresses for filing O-1 (I-129)
- Addresses for filing EB-1, EB-2 NIW (I-140)
Detailed breakdown
Critical change: as of October 28, 2025 USCIS does not accept checks and money orders
As of October 28, 2025 USCIS no longer accepts checks and money orders for paper filings. If you send documents with a money order after this date, the packet will be rejected and returned.
Exception: If you do not have access to a U.S. bank account and cannot pay by card, USCIS provides Form G-1651 (Exemption for Paper Fee Payment). This is a request for an exemption allowing payment by check or money order. But this is an exception, not the standard route.
Consequences of sending a packet with a money order after 28.10.2025:
- Loss of priority date
- Missing important deadlines
- Potential loss of status in the U.S.
- Need to restart the process
Why USCIS changed the rules:
- 90% of payments were checks and money orders
- Processing took 2–4 weeks
- 15% of payments were rejected due to errors
- Checks were 16 times more likely to be lost or forged compared to electronic payments
USCIS now accepts only two payment methods for paper filings:
Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. Print, complete, place on top of the packet.
Authorization for ACH Transactions. Complete and place on top of the packet. Available only from U.S. bank accounts.
Card payment: Form G-1450 (Authorization for Credit Card Transactions)
What is accepted:
- Credit and debit cards issued by U.S. banks
- U.S.-issued prepaid cards
- Non-U.S.-issued cards are NOT accepted (this is stated explicitly in the G-1450 PDF)
Were there exceptions? In 2024 there were isolated cases of successful payments with cards issued by Kazakh banks, but this was likely a system glitch rather than the rule. USCIS’s official position: the credit card must be issued by a U.S. bank.
Limits:
- Daily card limit: $24,999.99 per card per day (U.S. Treasury / Pay.gov rule)
- Exception for H-1B (online): up to $99,999.99 per credit card for online registrations/petitions. Does not apply to paper G-1450
How to fill out G-1450:
- Cardholder’s full name
- Billing address
- Card number, expiration date, CVV
- Signature
- Place the form on top of the paper packet (petition)
Important: A separate G-1450 for each fee/form. Do not combine different fees on one form. Any card decline = full return of the packet; there will be no reattempt to collect funds.
ACH debit payment: Form G-1650 (Authorization for ACH Transactions)
What it is: electronic debit (EFT/ACH) directly from your U.S. bank account (checking or savings).
What you need:
- Routing number (9 digits)
- Account number
- Sufficient funds in the account
Advantage of ACH over card:
Reattempt on insufficient funds: If an ACH payment is returned for insufficient funds, USCIS will make one reattempt to collect. This is an important difference from cards, where there is no reattempt. But if the return is for another reason (incorrect account details, block) — the petition will be returned without a reattempt.
Why people often choose ACH:
Lower risk of anti-fraud filters triggering compared to cards. The main thing is to ensure the bank has no ACH blocks and the account has enough funds.
How to fill out G-1650: (USCIS instructions)
- Payer’s full name and address
- Routing number and account number (from a check or the bank app)
- Indicate account type (checking/savings)
- Sign and date
- Place on top of the packet
Online filings via myUSCIS (since February 2024)
Since February 2024 USCIS accepts online filing of Form I-140 (including EB-1A and EB-2 NIW) through the myUSCIS portal. Payment is processed automatically through Pay.gov (card or ACH); Forms G-1450 and G-1650 are not required.
Technical limitations (source: USCIS Tips for Filing Forms Online, updated 03/2026):
- File size: up to 12 MB per document
- Number of files: USCIS states “you can upload as many files as you need” (no hard limit)
- Formats: PDF, JPG, JPEG. For some forms also TIF/TIFF. Word files (.docx) are not accepted
- Receipt notice: for most forms it is issued immediately after filing. For some forms it may take up to 3 days. For paper filing this takes 2–4 weeks
- RFE response: you can upload additional documents directly via myUSCIS (Documents tab), no need to mail them
Detailed breakdown
Pros of online filing:
- Fast receipt notice and establishment of priority date
- No risk of documents being lost in the mail
- You can concurrently file I-907 (Premium Processing)
Risks of online filing:
Loss of control over organization: With paper filing an attorney can create a petition with tabs, a cover letter, and a logical structure of exhibits. The online system forces you to upload documents into USCIS categories, and you lose the ability to craft a narrative.
Document metadata: When uploading PDFs online the officer can see Author (who created the file), Creation date, Software (Word, Adobe). If a recommendation letter "from a professor" was created in Word on the applicant’s computer — that is visible. With paper filing the metadata is removed by the printer/scanner.
AI analysis: Online filing gives USCIS searchable text PDFs. This allows automatic comparison of recommendation letters across petitions, citation checks via Google Scholar, and detection of template phrases.
Remove metadata: Adobe Acrobat Pro: File, Properties, clear all fields. Recommendation letters are better printed, signed by hand, and scanned. Then metadata will show the scanner, not Microsoft Word.
Comparison of payment methods
| Parameter | G-1450 (card) | G-1650 (ACH) |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability | Medium (possible antifraud declines) | High if account details correct |
| Processing time | 1–3 business days | 1–3 business days |
| Reattempt on failure | No | Yes, once for insufficient funds |
| U.S. account required | No (U.S. prepaid possible) | Yes |
| Daily limit | $24,999.99 (exception: $99,999.99 for online H-1B) | No limit from Pay.gov side |
| Risk of bank blocking | Higher (anti-fraud, limits) | Lower (but check ACH blocks) |
Asylum Program Fee: what this refugee-related fee is and why you pay it (since April 2024)
Since April 2024 USCIS introduced an additional Asylum Program Fee. This fee is added to almost all petitions, including I-129 (O-1) and I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW).
Where this fee came from and why work-visa applicants pay it:
USCIS is one of the rare federal agencies funded almost entirely by applicant fees rather than by U.S. general budget. At the same time, processing asylum applications is a huge workload for which asylum seekers do not pay. Before 2024 USCIS covered this workload from general resources, which led to delays across ALL other categories (including EB-1A, O-1, H-1B). In effect, your EB-1A petition was processed slower because USCIS resources went to asylum cases.
In 2024 USCIS addressed this directly: it introduced a separate Asylum Program Fee ($300–600) for work and immigration petitions. USCIS’s logic: “you pay a separate asylum fee, and with that we hire additional officers and speed up processing of YOUR cases.”
Do applicants like this? No. But these are the current rules. If you do not include this payment the packet will be returned without consideration.
How much to pay:
| Petitioner type | Question 5 (Part 1, I-140) | Question 6 (Part 1, I-140) | Asylum Fee | I-140 fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-profit organization | Yes | Yes or No | $0 | $715 | $715 |
| Small employer (25 or fewer employees) | No | Yes | $300 | $715 | $1,015 |
| Self-petitioner | No | Yes | $300 | $715 | $1,015 |
| Other petitioners (more than 25 employees) | No | No | $600 | $715 | $1,315 |
The table is a translation of the original table from the USCIS site. It explains how to correctly determine the Asylum Program Fee amount depending on petitioner status. It is important to answer Questions 5 and 6 in Part 1 of Form I-140 correctly.
Don’t forget the Asylum Program Fee! Without this payment the case will be returned. I-140 ($715) and the Asylum Fee are paid separately, each on its own G-1450 or G-1650.
Small employer (25 or fewer employees): select "Yes" to Question 6 in Part 1 of I-140, then Asylum Fee = $300 instead of $600. Self-petitioner (you file EB-1A on your own without an employer) — also $300.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Always verify current fees on the Filing Fees page before filing.
This is not just a recommendation but a practical lesson from real cases. Sometimes I-907 is filled out incorrectly (signed or completed wrong) while I-140 is correct. If the payment was on one G-1450, USCIS rejects the entire payment and returns the whole packet. If payments are separate — USCIS may accept I-140 for regular processing (collecting $715), and you can then submit a corrected I-907 with a separate $2,965 payment to expedite the already accepted case.
Contact the bank in advance to remove possible debit blocks for payments to USCIS/Pay.gov.
$24,999.99/day on a credit card. For large amounts use ACH.
FAQ
Can I pay for a relative/client?
Yes. The payer can be a third party: the owner of a U.S. card (G-1450) or a U.S. bank account (G-1650). It’s important that the payment instrument meets requirements (card issued by a U.S. bank, account at a U.S. bank).
The bank declined the card charge (fraud decline). Will USCIS try to charge again?
It depends on the payment method — and this is the key difference between G-1450 (card) and G-1650 (ACH):
G-1450 (card): USCIS does NOT retry the charge. If the card is declined for any reason (fraud alert, limit, incorrect details) — the packet is returned. Even if you call the bank and remove the block five minutes later — it’s too late. There will be no retry.
G-1650 (ACH): USCIS makes ONE retry, but only if the return reason was insufficient funds. If the return reason is different (incorrect account details, ACH block) — the packet is returned without a retry.
This is one of the main reasons many choose ACH over card: card anti-fraud systems are unpredictable, while ACH gives at least one chance for a retry.
Practical advice: If paying by card — 1–2 days before mailing the packet call your bank and ask them to mark “authorized transaction to USCIS / Pay.gov” on your account. Give an approximate amount. This is not a guarantee but reduces the risk of a fraud decline.
If the card is declined (declined)?
USCIS will return the petition or the packet. You will need to refile with valid payment. There will be no retry. This is a fundamental difference from ACH (G-1650), where one retry is allowed in case of insufficient funds.
Can multiple fees be paid with one payment?
USCIS does not explicitly prohibit this, but it is recommended to make a separate payment for each fee. Especially Premium Processing ($2,965) is better paid separately. It’s easier to resolve if a payment is declined or questions arise.
Is it safe to provide card details?
Payment is processed through Pay.gov (U.S. Department of the Treasury, federal-level encryption and security).
How much is Premium Processing (I-907)?
$2,965 for I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW) as of March 1, 2026 (previously $2,805). Paid separately from the I-140 fee ($715) and the Asylum Fee. Details: uscis.gov/i-907
Official USCIS links
- Filing Fees page
- Form G-1450 (Authorization for Credit Card Transactions)
- Form G-1650 (Authorization for ACH Transactions)
- Addresses for filing I-129 (O-1)
- Addresses for filing I-140 (EB-1A, EB-2 NIW)
- Form I-907 (Premium Processing)