NVC Fees: What You Owe and How to Pay Online

For most family-based immigrant visa cases, the National Visa Center collects a minimum of $445 in NVC fees before it will move your case forward: $325 for the Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee and $120 for the Affidavit of Support Review Fee. Both are paid online through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) using a U.S. bank account, and both must clear before you can file Form DS-260 or upload supporting documents.¹

The Two Fees and What They Cost

The Immigrant Visa (IV) Application Processing Fee is charged per person seeking a visa. The amount depends on the petition:

$325 per applicant for family-based cases processed through an approved I-130, I-600, or I-800 petition, including immediate relatives and family preference categories.
$205 per applicant for most other immigrant visa categories, including approved I-360 self-petitioners, special immigrant visa applicants, and returning residents (SB-1 applicants).

The Affidavit of Support (AOS) Review Fee is $120 and covers the NVC’s review of Form I-864, which shows the immigrant has adequate financial support. The AOS fee is charged once per case, not per person. A petition covering a spouse and children as derivatives still owes only one $120 AOS fee.²

A small number of cases do not require the AOS fee at all. If CEAC does not show an AOS fee due, do not pay it. If CEAC requests the fee but you believe your category is exempt, contact the NVC before paying.³ Both fees are non-refundable.¹

Who Owes What

The IV fee is the applicant’s responsibility. The AOS fee falls on the petitioner, the U.S. citizen or permanent resident sponsor who filed the original petition. In practice, anyone with the NVC case number and invoice ID can submit either payment. The system verifies bank account information, not the identity of the payer.

A single applicant on a family-based petition owes $445 total. Add $325 for each additional derivative applicant on the same case. A family of four on one I-130 owes $1,420.¹

How to Pay Online

The NVC accepts payment only through CEAC. There is no option to pay by mail, at a U.S. Embassy, by credit card, by debit card, or by personal check.²

You cannot pay until the NVC sends the welcome letter (by mail or email) containing your case number and a separate invoice ID. Use both to log into your case on CEAC.⁴

On the case summary page, click “Pay Now” next to either fee. You will need a nine-digit routing number and the account number for a checking or savings account at a U.S.-based bank. Payments are processed in U.S. dollars by the Department of the Treasury through the Immigrant Visa Invoice Payment Center.²

The system will not let you pay both fees at once. Finish one, return to the case summary, and start the second. Two transactions.³

If You Don’t Have a U.S. Bank Account

Because payment must come from a U.S.-based bank, applicants abroad without one need help from someone in the United States. The practical workaround is to have a trusted person (the petitioner, a family member, or an attorney) log in with your case number and invoice ID and pay from their own U.S. account.

If CEAC will not let you complete the transaction at all, the Department of State asks you to take a screenshot of the error and submit it through the Public Inquiry Form at nvc.state.gov/inquiry.²

What Happens After You Pay

Allow 10 calendar days for the NVC to process and confirm the funds. Your bank will typically be debited about three days after submission, but the NVC’s internal system takes longer to update. During that window, CEAC may show “In Process” or “Paid” without unlocking the next steps.³

Once both payments register, the applicant gains access to Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application). The petitioner can then upload Form I-864 and the required financial and civil supporting documents. The DS-260 is not accessible until fee processing is complete, so hold off on contacting the NVC before the 10-day window has closed.³

When a Payment Fails or Stalls

Payments most often fail because of an incorrect routing number, a wrong account number, or an account that does not support ACH transactions. Some online-only banks and prepaid accounts cannot process these transfers. If CEAC shows the payment as “Rejected,” recheck your bank details and resubmit. There is no penalty for a rejected attempt.

If a payment sits on “Pending” for more than 10 calendar days, the NVC asks you to send your payment receipt through the Public Inquiry Form at nvc.state.gov/inquiry. Other CEAC payment issues go through the same form, with screenshots.⁵

Don’t Sit on the Welcome Letter

Under federal immigration law, the Secretary of State will terminate an immigrant visa registration if the applicant fails to apply for the visa within one year after being notified that a visa is available.⁶ Once the NVC sends your welcome letter and your priority date is current, that clock is running. Letting a full year pass without paying fees, submitting documents, or otherwise responding can end the case.

A terminated case can be reinstated within two years of the notification date, but only if the delay was caused by circumstances beyond your control.⁷ Being busy or forgetting will not meet that standard. Paying the fees and sending at least some response within the first year keeps the case alive while you gather the rest.

One More Fee After NVC: The USCIS Immigrant Fee

The NVC fees are not the last government charge. After your consular interview is approved and you receive your visa, a separate $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee is owed before your Green Card is issued. This one goes directly to USCIS, not to the NVC or the Department of State.⁸

USCIS encourages paying it after you receive the visa and before you travel to the United States. You can also pay after arrival, but the Green Card will not be mailed until the fee clears. If you enter without paying, the temporary I-551 stamp Customs and Border Protection places in your passport serves as proof of permanent resident status for one year. Lawful permanent resident status itself is not affected by delayed payment, though living without the physical card creates complications for employment verification and travel.⁸

1
U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
2
Travel.State.Gov. NVC Fee Payment FAQs
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Travel.State.Gov. Pay Fees
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Travel.State.Gov. CEAC FAQs
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Travel.State.Gov. Troubleshooting
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1153 – Allocation of Immigrant Visas
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eCFR. Title 22 Chapter I Subchapter E Part 42 Subpart I – Refusal, Revocation, and Termination of Registration
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Immigrant Fee