USCIS Fee Waiver Guidelines

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) understands that certain people are unable to afford filing fees for USCIS forms. Due to this, USCIS offers a fee waiver for some immigration forms to relieve the financial burden. The request for USCIS fee waiver is known as Form I-912.

How Do I Get a Fee Waiver for USCIS Forms?

It is important to understand that not all USCIS forms are eligible for a fee waiver. You can view a full list of currently eligible forms on this webpage in the Special Instructions section. You can only apply for a waiver if you are filing one of the listed forms.

In order to be eligible for a USCIS fee waiver on these forms, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Have a household income at or below the 150% poverty level at the time you file. You can view the current poverty levels here.
• Either you, your spouse, or your head of household living with you is currently receiving a means-tested benefit.
• You are currently experiencing a financial hardship that makes it so you are unable to pay the filing fee. This could be due to an emergency, unexpected medical bill, etc.

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How to Request a USCIS Fee Waiver

• Along with the eligible form you are filing, you will also need to file a Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. Currently, you are required to file a paper form.
• Be sure to sign the Form I-912 in addition to the fee waiver-eligible form you are filing. It will be rejected if it is not signed by you, or an eligible representative for those under the age of 14 or mentally incompetent.
• To file the Form I-912, attach it to the eligible form you are filing, and mail it to the appropriate address listed in the instructions for that form. For example, if you are requesting a fee waiver for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, you would mail both the N-400, I-912 and all supporting documentation to the address listed in the N-400 instructions.