OAP Processing Fees

OAP charges a fee, payable by cost transfer invoice (CTI), for each visa request. An invoice will be sent to the budget contact listed on the visa request form once it has been conditionally approved by OAP. The current fee structure is:

  • $550 visa request fee
    • For H-1Bs, E-3s, and TNs, this fee is charged once for each visa request.
    • For J-1s, this fee is charged for each full year of sponsorship time requested, times the total number of DS-2019s issued based on the request. If a J visa request lists 2 years of sponsorship for one international scholar and 3 dependents, the fee will be charged 8 times for a total of $4,400. Requests to add J-2 dependents are also billed at this rate.
  • $113 amendment fee, for revisions to DS-2019s for J-1 exchange visitors.
  • $124 visa case management fee, for O-1 and EB-1B cases billed at an hourly rate.

If you have questions about an invoice for visa request fees, please contact ISO.

USCIS Fees

Some visa requests require additional fees paid to the Department of Homeland Security. Units must send checks for these fees to ISO at campus mailbox 351245 once the associated visa request has been conditionally approved. ISO will then forward the checks to USCIS along with the relevant forms and supporting documents. DO NOT send the checks directly to USCIS or DHS.

Note that checks from UW Procurement expire after 180 days; contact ISO advisors for specific guidance on what fee checks are necessary when.

USCIS Fees Units Must Pay

Checks should be made out to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”

  • I-129 Fees (For H-1B, TN, E-3 and O-1):
    • The fee for Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker is $460. This fee is required for all H-1B, TN, E-3, and O-1 visa requests.
    • Fraud Prevention and Detection fee: Depending on the H-1B visa request type, USCIS may require this additional $500 Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee. Must be submitted as a separate check. This fee does not apply to H-1B extensions or amendments, or to other visa types.
  • I-140 Fee (For permanent residence): The fee for the Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker is $700. This fee is only required for a certain step in the UW permanent residence sponsorship process. An ISO advisor will let you know if and when this fee is necessary.
  • Premium processing (optional): For an additional $2,500, USCIS will process the petition within 15 business days. Note: This fee does not expedite processing with other agencies or within UW.

Units may not seek reimbursement of any of these fees from employees.

Employees may be required to pay additional fees charged by the U.S. consulate for the visa stamp, or the $220 SEVIS fee charged to J-1 exchange visitors by the Department of State. Units may reimburse international scholars for these fees.

USCIS Fees Units May Pay

  • Dependent filing fees: If ISO will submit an I-539 Application to Change/Extend Status with the H-1B, TN, E-3, or O-1 petition, that application must include the I-539 filing fee of $370. These fees are normally paid by the employee but may be paid by the unit.

Note: Only non-federal grant budgets may be used to pay for visa processing fees. This is in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions. For more information, contact Grant and Contract Accounting at GCAhelp@uw.edu.

How to Request Checks for USCIS Fees

Filing fee checks to the Department of Homeland Security must be requested through UW Procurement Services and Ariba:

  • Check requests to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be processed as a non-PO invoice in Ariba. If you do not have non-PO invoice access in Ariba, see the Procurement Services website for instructions on how to obtain Ariba access for submitting a non-PO invoice.
  • Follow the step-by-step instructions in this PowerPoint Guide. It will walk you through each step of the process.
  • Prepare a separate non-PO invoice for each fee check and allow 48 hours for processing. Please note: A separate non-PO invoice must be created for each check. Ariba will not send separate checks if combined into one invoice and USCIS will not accept combined fee payments.
  • Be sure the supplier is “U.S. Dept of Homeland Security.”
  • Use the beneficiary’s last name and first name as the reference/invoice/description, along with visa type (e.g. H-1B, I-140, etc.)
  • Be sure to select ‘Yes’ to ‘Send check to UW campus Box’ Enter Box number and/or pickup details.
  • Once received, forward the checks to ISO along with the other supporting documentation, or have the checks sent directly to ISO.
  • ISO will send an email confirming receipt of any checks we receive.