USCIS Exempts Biometric Services Fee for all Form I-539 Applicants

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
WASHINGTON, DC- Starting from October 1, USCIS will no longer require an $85 biometric services fee for Form I-539, the Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. If your application is postmarked on or after October 1, you are exempt from this fee. However, for applications filed before October 1, some applicants may still have to attend a biometric services appointment as scheduled. After October 1, most applicants will not be scheduled for such appointments unless USCIS determines them necessary, in which case you will be notified.

If you accidentally submit the biometric services fee separately from the Form I-539 fee, USCIS will return the biometric services fee and process the Form I-539. If the payment combines with the paper-based Form I-539 filing fee, it will be considered an incorrect filing, and USCIS will reject the Form I-539. If you authorize a credit card payment combining the biometric services fee with the Form I-539 application fee, USCIS will accept the application and only charge the application fee.

This biometric services fee exemption applies to all applicants filing on or after October 1, including those requesting an extension of stay or change of status to H-4, L-2, or E nonimmigrant categories. USCIS aims to eliminate the biometric services fee and requirement for all Form I-539 applicants, as outlined in the USCIS Fiscal Year 2022 Progress Report.