USCIS To Stop Accepting Paper Checks/Money Orders For Filing Fees

Starting October 28, 2025, USCIS will no longer accept paper checks or money orders for the payment of filing fees required for applications or petitions filed with that agency. Instead, USCIS will only accept (1) ACH debit transactions, or credit card transactions for payment of government filing fees for applications filed by mail, or (2) payment by credit card, debit card, or bank withdrawal when filing applications online. 

Some of the requirements include:

• Using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, or Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions (for mail-in filings). 

• Cannot split the filing fee payment by submitting both the ACH and Credit Card form.

• Must use a separate credit card form for each benefit requested.

• All payments must be made from a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. currency.

• USCIS may reject an application if a credit card is declined. (They will not attempt to process the credit card a second time.)

• If using ACH transaction to pay a filing fee, and that payment is returned as unpayable due to insufficient funds, USCIS will resubmit payment to the bank one time. 

Within the TN visa classification context, this means that all I-129 petitions seeking TN visa status by mail, which are filed with USCIS, must follow these new filing fee payment requirements starting Oct. 28th. (USCIS currently does not allow online filing for TN I-129 petitions.) These changes do not impact how filing fees are paid at the border for TN applications filed with USCBP (Canadian citizen filings only), or for the payment of filings fees for applications submitted to the U.S. Consulate/Embassy (Mexican citizen filings only). 

Additional information on the filing fee payment changes are available at USCIS’ Policy Alert.