Form I-824 Fee: $590 Cost, Waivers, and Rejected Payments

The filing fee for Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, is $590.¹ Several humanitarian categories pay nothing, and applicants with limited income can request a waiver. The fee is non-refundable whether USCIS approves or denies your request, so it’s worth getting the payment method and supporting documents right the first time.

How to Pay the $590

Since late 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms unless you qualify for a specific exemption.² Because Form I-824 has no online filing option, you’ll mail the form with one of two electronic payment authorizations on top of the package:

Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, to charge a credit, debit, or prepaid card.
Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, to pull the fee directly from a U.S. checking or savings account. A third party can pay on your behalf as long as the account owner signs the form.³

Don’t submit both a G-1450 and a G-1650 trying to split the $590 across two methods. USCIS will reject the package. If you pay by ACH and the bank returns the payment for insufficient funds, USCIS resubmits once; a second failure can result in rejection or denial.³

If you qualify for an exemption from electronic payment, include Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, with a check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.⁴

Whatever method you choose, the amount has to match the fee schedule exactly. USCIS rejects the entire package for a payment amount mismatch.¹

Who Owes Nothing

The fee is automatically $0 if you fall into one of these categories:

VAWA self-petitioners, including derivative beneficiaries of a Violence Against Women Act petition.
People seeking or granted T nonimmigrant status (trafficking victims) or U nonimmigrant status (crime victims).
Applicants seeking or granted Special Immigrant Juvenile classification.
Iraqi nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government, Afghan nationals employed by the U.S. government or ISAF, and derivative beneficiaries of these categories.
Abused spouses or children adjusting under the Cuban Adjustment Act, the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, NACARA, or cancellation of removal under INA section 240A(b)(2).¹

Requesting a Fee Waiver for Hardship

Applicants who don’t fall into a $0 category but can’t afford the $590 may request a waiver by submitting Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, with the I-824. One qualifying criterion is a household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026, that threshold for a family of four in the contiguous 48 states is $49,500 per year.⁵ You can also qualify by showing you receive means-tested government benefits or by documenting severe financial hardship with tax returns and pay stubs.⁶

Timing is strict. The I-912 must go in with the I-824. You cannot send a waiver request after USCIS already has your application.⁷ If USCIS denies the waiver and you didn’t include payment as a backup, the whole package comes back.

Common Ways a Fee Payment Gets Rejected

A few avoidable errors send I-824 packages back to sender:

The payment amount doesn’t match $590 (or $0 for exempt categories).
You included both a G-1450 and a G-1650.
You submitted a personal or cashier’s check without a Form G-1651 exemption.
An ACH payment bounces twice for insufficient funds.
The form itself has a missing or invalid signature. USCIS will not accept a stamped or typed name in place of a handwritten one, though a photocopy, fax, or scan of the original signed document is acceptable.⁸

One boundary worth knowing before you pay: USCIS will not process the I-824 at all if the underlying petition is still pending, was denied, or if the original approval has expired or been revoked.⁸ The $590 doesn’t come back if you file in one of those situations, so confirm the status of your prior approval before mailing anything.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With ACH Debit Transaction by Mail
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition
5
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition