How to Pay I-140 and I-907 Fees for EB1A & EB2 NIW as Self-Petitioners

Introduction

When you file your EB1A or EB2 NIW petition as a self-petitioner, you must pay the government filing fees for Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) and, if you want premium processing, Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service). Since October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts paper checks, cashier's checks, or money orders for these filings. All fees are now paid electronically. This guide explains exactly how to pay correctly, whether you file by mail or online, so your petition is not rejected over a payment problem.

Currency note: Fees and payment rules below are accurate as of June 2026. Always confirm the exact amounts on the official USCIS Fee Schedule before you file.

What You Owe: Fee Breakdown

As a self-petitioner (alien of extraordinary ability or national interest waiver), you qualify for the reduced Asylum Program Fee, so your I-140 cost is lower than for an employer-sponsored petition.

A few important notes on these numbers:

• The Asylum Program Fee is $300 for self-petitioners (it is $600 for most employers and $0 for nonprofits). On Form I-140, self-petitioners answer "No" to question 5 (nonprofit/government research) and "Yes" to question 6 (organization with 25 or fewer full-time employees) to qualify for the reduced $300 rate.
• The I-907 premium processing fee rose to $2,965 on March 1, 2026 (up from $2,805). If USCIS receives a Form I-907 postmarked on or after March 1, 2026 with the old fee, it will reject the request and return the payment.
• These are the most common figures for our audience. If your situation differs, verify on the USCIS Fee Schedule.

The "Separate Payment Per Fee" Rule

This is the single most common payment mistake, so we put it first.

You must submit a separate payment for each fee form. Do not combine the I-140 fee and the I-907 fee into one charge. When filing I-140 by mail, the $715 base fee and the $300 Asylum Program Fee are paid together as the single I-140 filing fee, but the I-907 premium processing fee is always paid as its own separate transaction.

In practice:

• Filing I-140 by mail: one payment of $1,015 for the I-140 (base + Asylum Program Fee).
• Adding premium processing: a separate payment of $2,965 for the I-907.

If you mail both forms together, include a separate Form G-1450 or G-1650 authorizing each amount. Never write one authorization for the combined total.

Accepted Payment Methods (Paper / Mail Filing)

When you file on paper at a USCIS lockbox, you authorize an electronic payment by including one of these forms on top of your packet:

Option 1 — Form G-1650 (ACH Debit From a U.S. Bank Account) — Recommended

Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, pulls the fee directly from a U.S. checking or savings account.

How to complete it:

1. Enter the payment amount (e.g., $1,015 for the I-140, or $2,965 for the I-907).
2. Enter your bank's 9-digit routing number and your account number.
3. Select checking or savings.
4. Provide the account holder's name and address and sign the form.

ACH is the most reliable method: there are no per-transaction caps and no fraud-flag risk the way there is with cards. Make sure the account has enough funds to cover the full amount.

Option 2 — Form G-1450 (Credit, Debit, or Prepaid Card)

Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, lets you pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover, including debit and U.S.-purchased prepaid cards. This is the route to use if you do not have a U.S. bank account.

How to complete it:

1. Enter the payment amount.
2. Enter the cardholder name, card number, and expiration date exactly as shown on the card.
3. The current edition (02/06/26) includes an optional CVV field.
4. Sign the authorization.

USCIS attempts to process a card only once. If the charge is declined — for example, your bank flags a large government transaction as suspicious, or you hit a daily/credit limit — USCIS rejects and returns the entire petition. Before filing, call your card issuer to authorize a one-time charge of $1,015 (and $2,965 if adding premium processing), and confirm your limit covers it.

Use one form per fee

Place a separate G-1650 or G-1450 on top of the packet for each fee being paid (one for the $1,015 I-140, and, if applicable, one for the $2,965 I-907). You can mix methods if you like — for example, ACH for one fee and a card for another.

No U.S. bank account? Use Form G-1450 with a credit, debit, or U.S.-purchased prepaid card. Never send cash. A narrow paper-payment exemption exists via Form G-1651 for filers who genuinely cannot pay electronically, but for almost all self-petitioners G-1450 or G-1650 is the right path.

Paying When You File Online (pay.gov)

You can file a standalone Form I-140 online through your myUSCIS account. At the end of the online workflow you are redirected to pay.gov to pay the fee. (Form I-907 cannot be bundled — you file it separately online to request premium processing after your I-140 receipt is issued.)

On pay.gov you can pay by:

• ACH debit from a U.S. bank account (enter routing + account number), or
• Debit or credit card.

Recommendation: use ACH (bank account) or a debit card. Pay.gov applies per-transaction limits to credit-card payments and generally requires a U.S.-issued card, so a large fee like $2,965 can be blocked or split. ACH and debit avoid these limits and are the most reliable for these amounts.

For the full online walkthrough — creating the account, filling the form, uploading evidence, and the pay.gov step — see our guide How to File I-140 and I-907 Online.

What Happens If a Payment Is Rejected

• Card declined / ACH returned (insufficient funds, wrong account): for paper filings, USCIS rejects the entire packet and returns it to you unfiled. Your priority date is not preserved until a valid filing is accepted, so a rejection can cost you weeks.
• Wrong amount (e.g., old $2,805 I-907 fee, or forgetting the $300 Asylum Program Fee): USCIS rejects the filing and returns the payment.
• Combined payment instead of separate forms: can trigger rejection of one or both forms.

To recover, fix the underlying issue (limit, funds, amount, or form) and re-file the complete packet. Because rejection means starting over, getting the payment right the first time matters.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a paper check or money order — no longer accepted since October 28, 2025.
• Paying the old I-907 fee of $2,805 instead of the current $2,965.
• Forgetting the $300 Asylum Program Fee, or paying the $600 rate when you qualify for the $300 self-petitioner rate.
• Combining the I-140 and I-907 fees into one payment instead of separate authorization forms.
• Relying on a credit card without pre-authorizing a large charge — risking a one-time decline that rejects the whole packet.
• Using a non-U.S. bank for ACH (G-1650 requires a U.S. bank account with a 9-digit routing number).
• Trying to pay a large $2,965 fee on pay.gov with a credit card that exceeds the per-transaction limit, instead of ACH or debit.

Payment Checklist

• Confirmed current amounts on the USCIS Fee Schedule: $1,015 I-140, $2,965 I-907.
• Answered I-140 questions 5 ("No") and 6 ("Yes") to claim the $300 reduced Asylum Program Fee.
• Paper filing: one completed, signed G-1650 or G-1450 per fee, placed on top of the packet.
• Online filing: ready to pay on pay.gov via ACH or debit card.
• Pre-authorized any card with your issuer for the exact large amount.
• Verified the U.S. bank account has sufficient funds for ACH.
• Kept copies of every G-1450/G-1650 form for your records.

Related Guides

• I-140 Form Complete Guide — how to fill out and assemble the petition itself.
• How to File I-140 and I-907 Online — the myUSCIS + pay.gov walkthrough.
• Should You Use Premium Processing? — decide whether the $2,965 I-907 fee is worth it.

Ready to file? Get the payment right the first time and avoid a rejected packet. If you'd like a second set of eyes on your I-140 before you mail or submit it, request a free evaluation.

As of June 2026. For the most current rules and amounts, always refer to the official USCIS Fee Schedule and the Form G-1450 and Form G-1650 pages.