On August 29, 2025 USCIS announced it would no longer accept checks or money orders for payment of immigration fees after October 28, 2025. Instead, the agency has issued Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, to pay fees by electronic debit from U.S. bank accounts. USCIS states the policy change aligns with Executive Order 14247, Modernizing Payments to and from America’s Bank Account, and is aimed at reducing the time and manpower required to process checks and money orders, as well as reducing the risks of fraud, lost payments, and theft. Beginning October 29, 2025, USCIS will only accept two electronic payment methods:
- ACH debit transactions submitted with Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Debit Transactions
- Credit card payments submitted with Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
Employers should make preparations for this change by implementing internal process controls, bank-side controls, and compliance protocols. Bank-side controls include creating a USCIS dedicated account, using ACH Blocks to limit withdrawals to USCIS, and setting up real time transaction alerts to confirm withdrawals. Internal process controls include secure storage of sensitive account details, limiting of who can provide account authorization, and dual review of any ACH payment authorizations. Compliance and risk management practices include regular account reconciliation, backup credit card payment processes, and periodic security reviews. Employers who prefer to use credit cards to make payments should implement similar protocols. Consider creating a dedicated USCIS corporate card. Ensure that transaction limits are sufficient to cover USCIS fees but also set to prevent abuse. Real-time alerts and auditing measures should also be implemented to ensure credit card security. There are pros and cons to the change. Credit card or ACH payment could help streamline case processing for attorneys and help attorneys to file immigration applications more quickly. On the other hand, credit card and ACH payments will likely result in a higher rate of rejected filings by USCIS because omissions in the payment forms. It also creates an additional administrative burden for business entities. The impact to the credit card and ACH requirement will be on those filing family-based and humanitarian immigration benefits who traditionally use checks and money orders to make fee payments.
