Copyright Newsweek
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a payment update for non-U.S. citizens applying for a green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card. The change has been in effect since October 28, 2025. Why It Matters The latest change impacts the payment method for obtaining permanent residency or U.S. citizenship. These developments have been made by the USCIS in order to reduce fraud or lost payments, speed up processing times, lower administrative costs, and improve payment tracking and transparency. If applicants fail to follow these new payment rules, their application could be rejected. What To Know As of October 28, applicants who are mailing an immigration application to the USCIS can no longer pay with cheqks or money orders; they must now use electronic payment methods, which include the following: Applicants paying with a credit, debit, or prepaid card must use Form G-1450 to authorize payment. Those paying via an ACH payment—which involves the electronic transfer of funds between bank accounts, which are processed through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network—must use Form G-1650 to allow the USCIS to take the fee directly from their U.S. bank account. The USCIS will no longer accept personal or business checks, money orders, bank drafts, or cashier’s checks. However, if applicants can’t pay electronically, they may be eligible for an exemption that allows them to submit a paper-based payment. In these cases, they must complete, sign, and submit Form G-1651 Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, which requests permission to pay by paper. When doing so, they must prove that they meet at least one of the following requirements: They don’t have access to a U.S. bank account or electronic payment systems Paying electronically would cause them “undue hardship” Paper-based payment is necessary for national security or law enforcement reasons Other circumstances that have been established by the Secretary of the Treasury in other regulations or guidance. What People Are Saying The USCIS said in its official press release that: “Applicants and petitioners should ensure their accounts have sufficient funds to cover all filing fees. USCIS may reject any application, petition, or request if the transaction is denied.” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser, quoted in the USCIS press release: “Modernizing financial transactions to and from the federal government is a priority for the Trump administration. Over 90% of our payments come from checks and money orders, causing processing delays and increasing the risk of fraud and lost payments. This is a no-brainer move.” The USCIS issued the following statement on X: “Starting Oct. 28, all USCIS fees must be paid via an ACH debit transaction from a U.S. bank using Form G-1650, or a credit/debit card using Form G-1450. Failure to use accepted payment methods may result in rejection. These changes reduce the risks of fraud, lost payments, and theft.” What Happens Next
