Palmer Polaski Immigration Alerts

Changes to USCIS Payments: Elimination of Checks & Money Orders

Starting October 28, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer accept paper checks or money orders for filing fees, requiring applicants to use electronic payments. Applicants will be required to use new Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, to pay directly from a U.S. bank account, or Form G-1450 for credit or debit card payments.

The agency’s explanation for this change is to increase modernization, reduce fraud, and improve efficiency. According to the agency, about 90 percent of payments are currently made via check or money order so this represents a drastic change, making it more challenging for applicants without bank accounts and credit cards to pay fees. The change could result in consequential rejections of time-sensitive applications due to security protections on some credit cards. Unaware applicants filing after the deadline will also experience rejections.

Published by
Palmer Polaski PC

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