USCIS Green Card Fee - when to pay?

[SteveInBostonI130 3,434]

Hi everyone,

 

My wife just received her CR1 visa.  We were fortunate to get ours done in these challenging times, and hope others will get their visa soon.

 

My wife will wait a few weeks before travelling to the US.  I am wondering when is the best time to pay the GC fee?  I have the visa information to pay now, but I don't think USCIS will act on it until they get notified by CBP that she entered the US, correct?  Should I pay now, or pay closer to her travel time, perhaps a week before her flight?  My worry is that the system may archive the payment information and cause USCIS personnel to not find it right away.

 

To those who have paid early and those that paid after entry:  What are your experiences?   

 

 

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

I would pay now as it checks off a box of tasks which must be done..  Her Green Card will not be produced until she has paid the $220 fee AND until she has entered.............Paying closer to travel or after arrival has no benefit.  I paid IMMEDIATELY after my wife received her visa (before travel).  She received her Green Card 3 weeks after entering the US.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[payxibka 10,045]

7 minutes ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

Hi everyone,

 

My wife just received her CR1 visa.  We were fortunate to get ours done in these challenging times, and hope others will get their visa soon.

 

My wife will wait a few weeks before travelling to the US.  I am wondering when is the best time to pay the GC fee?  I have the visa information to pay now, but I don't think USCIS will act on it until they get notified by CBP that she entered the US, correct?  Should I pay now, or pay closer to her travel time, perhaps a week before her flight?  My worry is that the system may archive the payment information and cause USCIS personnel to not find it right away.

 

To those who have paid early and those that paid after entry:  What are your experiences?   

 

 

 

 

archive after just a few weeks?  Negatory.

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

Benjamin Franklin said “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”   In this case, it applies, imo.

[arken 4,197]

Don’t worry, pay now and forget about it.

 

It’s not like your payment receipt gets buried under loads of files if you pay early and someone will be digging into the piles to find your receipt.

 

I am assuming once your wife enters US triggering GC production, someone or the system checks for payment in their database. If paid, it goes into production.

 

My wife came to US 2 months after getting the visa and I had paid the GC fee the day she got back her passport. She received her GC within a month.

[SteveInBostonI130 3,434]

11 minutes ago, payxibka said:

archive after just a few weeks?  Negatory.

Ok, I will pay now. 

 

I read some posts about USCIS not being able to verify GC fee payment and having it delayed over 6 months.  One poster said his took over a year.  But I think those were related to computer system upgrade to or from ELIS?  I was concerned I might fall into that situation.

 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

Just now, SteveInBostonI130 said:

Ok, I will pay now. 

 

I read some posts about USCIS not being able to verify GC fee payment and having it delayed over 6 months.  One poster said his took over a year.  But I think those were related to computer system upgrade to or from ELIS?  I was concerned I might fall into that situation.

 

I haven't heard those stories.  However, I have heard of people forgetting to pay the $220 fee.....then realizing it a month after the new immigrant arrived......that definitely caused delays.

[SteveInBostonI130 3,434]

Here is that post I referred to:

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

4 minutes ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

Here is that post I referred to:

 

 

You're right.  Seems that was not a fee payment issue.......That was an IT error in conversion from one DB system to another...........an unfortunate hiccup or human error in the conversion program.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[JeanneAdil 6,491]

Wait till Oct 2nd and pay the lower fee

this is one of the ones that is going to cost less

USCIS Immigrant Fee $220 to  $190   -$30    -14 percent

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16389.pdf

 

page 16

[HRQX 4,145]

9 hours ago, SteveInBostonI130 said:

My wife will wait a few weeks before travelling to the US.

When is she planning to travel to the US? As mentioned above, that fee will be reduced by $30 starting on October 2nd.

Edited August 28, 2020 by HRQX

[SteveInBostonI130 3,434]

2 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

Wait till Oct 2nd and pay the lower fee

this is one of the ones that is going to cost less

USCIS Immigrant Fee $220 to  $190   -$30    -14 percent

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-16389.pdf

 

page 16

Darn it!  I payed this afternoon.  If only I waited a bit.

 

Oh well.  

[valentinasc 330]

My husband paid it an hour after approval and upon entering the US I received it after 3 weeks

[Yumburger 20]

Does the Immigrant Visa Fee pay for the green card?

[HRQX 4,145]

13 minutes ago, Yumburger said:

Does the Immigrant Visa Fee pay for the green card?

Yes: "The fee covers the cost of USCIS processing, filing and maintaining immigrant visa packets, plus the cost of producing Permanent Resident Cards." https://www.uscis.gov/tools/how-do-i-guides/pay-the-uscis-immigrant-fee