As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) enforces its new mandate requiring electronic payments that took effect October 28, 2025, immigration law firms must urgently adapt their internal processes. The era of mailing checks and money orders is ending— all immigration fee payments must now be made through digital channels.

This guide gives your staff a clear, step‑by‑step playbook to help immigration firms navigate new USCIS payment policies, avoid common mistakes, and align with trust accounting rules. We'll also spotlight 8am™ Smart Spend as a firm-level tool to reduce risk, automate reconciliation, and simplify payment methods for USCIS fees.

Current payment methods for USCIS immigration fees

Under the new USCIS rules, there are now two main categories of payment methods for filing fees:

1. Payments submitted with paper filings: Using either Form G-1650 (ACH debit) or Form G-1450 (credit/debit card).

2. Payments made through the USCIS online filing portal: Available for select form types filed electronically.

Below, we break down how each option works and when to use it.

ACH Debit (Form G-1650)

Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, allows USCIS to withdraw the filing fee directly from a U.S. bank account.

To use it, the filer must:

• Provide their U.S. bank routing number and account number (checking or savings)

• Specify if the account is personal or business

• Authorize USCIS to debit the exact fee amount

• Sign and submit the form alongside the application or petition

This method tends to have a lower risk of declines compared to credit cards, and it avoids credit card fees or limits. USCIS has already updated its Policy Manual to permit ACH debit payments.

One caution: the bank must allow ACH debits (i.e., there must be no “ACH‑debit block”), or the transaction can fail. Make sure to coordinate with your bank ahead of time.

Credit/debit card (Form G-1450)

You can use Form G‑1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, to pay using a USCIS credit card payment, a USCIS debit card payment, or even certain prepaid U.S. cards.

Key points:

• Only U.S.-issued credit or debit cards are accepted. Foreign bank cards will be rejected.

• USCIS will not charge extra for using a credit card—there’s no surcharge.

• The form must be signed with an original signature (not typed/stamped) or risk rejection.

• The completed USCIS credit card Form G‑1450 must be placed on top of your application or petition package when mailing.

• If the card is declined, USCIS will reject the filing—they do not retry a second time.

Because many firms already use credit cards internally, this method often requires less coordination than setting up new banking workflows. However, you must monitor for declined transactions due to daily card limits or fraud holds.

Payments made through the USCIS online filing portal

For certain form types that USCIS allows to be filed electronically, payment is made directly through the USCIS online portal, which integrates with Pay.gov.

When filing online, the system automatically prompts for payment at submission, and filers can securely pay by ACH or credit/debit card through the web interface. This eliminates the need for paper authorization forms altogether.

However, only a limited set of applications and petitions are currently supported for online filing. Firms should check USCIS’s online filing page for the current list of eligible forms.

Checks and money orders ended on Oct. 28, 2025

As of Oct. 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts paper checks and money orders, absent a narrow exemption.

Firms should immediately phase out reliance on mailed checks. Note:

• Some legacy materials or forms still reference checks, so internal training is essential.

• USCIS may reject applications submitted with checks going forward.

• Attaching form G-1450 or G-1650 to a mailed filing allows the payment to be processed electronically.

Quick-reference checklists for USCIS payment forms

Below are checklists you can embed into your standard operating procedures to reduce errors and rejections.

G-1450 (credit/debit) pre-mailing checklist

1. Confirm the card has sufficient credit or available balance to cover all filing fees.

2. Confirm the card is allowed for government payments (no blocks or restrictions).

3. Fill out only one Form G‑1450 for each form that requires a fee.

4. Use an original signature (no stamps or typed names).

5. Place G‑1450 on top of the application/packet before mailing.

6. Double-check the billing address, card expiration date, and card number.

7. Photograph or scan a copy of the completed Form G‑1450 for your records.

8. Ensure any prepaid cards are U.S.-issued (foreign‑issued cards will be declined).

HG-1650 (ACH) pre-mailing checklist

1. Confirm the bank account is U.S.-based (routing and account).

2. Ensure sufficient funds are available for the full fee amount.

3. Verify whether the account has an ACH block and disable it if needed.

4. Fill out one Form G‑1650 for a filing requiring payment.

5. Attach the original signed Form G‑1650 to the filing packet.

6. Scan or photograph the completed G‑1650 for your records.

7. Notify your accounting team about the scheduled debit timing for reconciliation.

Immigration fee online payment checklist  

1. Confirm the form is eligible for USCIS pay online (not every form supports direct portal payment).

2. Use an encrypted network (avoid public WiFi).

3. Type carefully: match names, receipt numbers, and fee amounts.

4. Save and download the payment confirmation (PDF or screenshot).

5. Immediately associate/save the receipt to the correct client matter.

6. Reconcile the payment in your trust accounting system.

USCIS fee payments by mail vs. online

Moving forward, USCIS will require all payments—whether mailed or filed online—to be completed electronically, using either a credit/debit card (Form G‑1450) or ACH debit (Form G‑1650). While this modernization simplifies fee collection for USCIS, it creates new operational and financial hurdles for immigration law firms responsible for managing client trust funds, reconciling payments, and safeguarding sensitive financial information.

Mailing payments

While paper checks are being phased out, many immigration applications will still be mailed. Payment must now be included using:

• Form G‑1450 (credit/debit card)

• Form G‑1650 (ACH debit from a U.S. account)

USCIS processes these payments electronically—even when forms are mailed. This shift creates new challenges:

• Data exposure: Mailing credit card or ACH details increases the risk of theft or misuse if packets are lost or intercepted.

• Loss of case-level tracking: Credit card charges from USCIS often appear simply as “USCIS,” with no client or case identifiers, making it hard to match payments to individual matters and ensure accurate trust accounting.

• Manual reconciliation: Firms spend more time tracking payment status without stamped checks or instant confirmations.

8am Smart Spend, built into MyCase, offers a secure and efficient way to manage USCIS payments by generating unique virtual cards for each case that can be locked or deactivated once processed. Every charge is automatically tagged to the correct client matter, giving firms real-time visibility through instant notifications and a centralized dashboard—no more waiting for receipt notices. Without Smart Spend, firms face increased risk and manual workloads; with it, payments are safer, faster, and easier to track.

Online payments

For eligible forms, USCIS offers direct online payment via Pay.gov or the USCIS portal. Benefits include:

• Immediate confirmations and faster receipt notices

• Secure transactions without mailing sensitive data

• Improved accounting sync with downloadable digital receipts

However, these payments may still post as generic “USCIS” charges, making case matching a challenge—just like mailed payments. Smart Spend solves this by assigning each payment to a unique virtual card tied to the case, ensuring 1:1 tracking no matter how you pay.

New challenges for immigration firms with USCIS fees 

The move to all‑electronic payments raises several practical challenges for law firms:

Protecting firm financial data

Submitting client credit card or ACH info on paper forms invites risk. Without strong encryption or secure channels, that data could be exposed mid‑transit or mishandled internally.

Maintaining 1:1 fee-to-case tracking

Under previous policies on payment methods for USCIS fees, each check matched a specific case. Now, debit and credit card transactions will be lumped together with the generic label “USCIS”, making it more labor-intensive to match fees to the correct matters—especially across high-volume caseloads.

Gaining real-time insights into USCIS processing

Because USCIS assigns receipt numbers only when the application is accepted (not when the debit or charge is processed), firms often operate with uncertainty about when a case enters the system. Delays in reconciliation can ripple into client billing and accounting.

How 8am Smart Spend helps immigration firms mitigate payment issues 

As USCIS transitions to all-electronic payments, immigration firms face new challenges: protecting sensitive financial data, maintaining clean trust accounting, and tracking fees by case. Smart Spend, integrated with MyCase, simplifies this shift by giving firms a secure, automated way to manage USCIS filing fees.

Smart Spend replaces sensitive firm credit card or ACH details with unique virtual cards for each case. These cards can be locked, paused, or deleted after processing, keeping financial data protected even when forms are mailed. Each card automatically ties to a specific client matter, ensuring 1:1 fee-to-case tracking and eliminating manual reconciliations.

When a USCIS fee is processed, Smart Spend instantly records the transaction in the dashboard, updates the client invoice, and can send real-time notifications—giving firms immediate visibility into case progress without waiting for receipt notices.

Smart Spend helps immigration firms stay compliant, reduce administrative work, and confidently manage USCIS payments in a fully digital era by securing payments, automating tracking, and providing instant transparency. Schedule a demo to see how Smart Spend can streamline your immigration firm’s fee management.