G-1651

Exemption for Paper Fee Payment

Agency
USCIS
Revision
Edition 06/03/25
Fillable fields
3
Pages
1
Official source
USCIS form page
Checked
October 20, 2026
Fill G-1651 online
Page 1 of form G-1651

Form G-1651: Exemption for Paper Fee Payment

Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, is a one-page USCIS form a payer uses to ask for an exemption from the electronic payment requirement for USCIS fees. The USCIS page explains that Executive Order 14247, signed on March 25, 2025, requires electronic payment of federal fees, with listed exceptions. Since Oct. 28, 2025, USCIS says it accepts only Pay.gov for benefit requests filed electronically, and for mailed benefit requests only ACH debit with Form G-1650 or card payments with Form G-1450.

The USCIS page says a payer who qualifies for an exemption mails the benefit request with the correct fee payment and a completed and signed Form G-1651. On the form, the payer attests that a paper fee payment is required because of one of four listed exemptions, then signs and dates it. USCIS lists only the form PDF for download; the filing details are on the form page itself.

Top of page 1 of Form G-1651: Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, as printed by USCIS

What's on Form G-1651

Attestation statement

The opening statement, where the payer attests, on their own behalf or on behalf of the benefit requestor, that a paper fee payment is required because of one of the exemptions listed below it.

Exemptions i. to iv.

No access to banking services or electronic payment systems, undue hardship under 31 C.F.R. Part 208, national security or law enforcement activities, and other circumstances set by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Certification

A line where the payer certifies that the information above is accurate.

Signature of Payer and Date

The payer's signature and the date. The USCIS page says it rejects any unsigned form.

DHS Privacy Notice

Gives the authority, Section 286(m) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the purpose. It also says that by completing the transaction, the fees and all related financial transactions are final and not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes.

How to fill out Form G-1651

  1. 1

    Use the edition shown on the USCIS page

    The USCIS page lists edition 06/03/25. On a printed copy, the edition date and page number at the bottom of the page stay visible.

  2. 2

    Read the four exemptions

    The USCIS page says the request includes a certification that electronic payment and collection methods are not possible and that one or more of the listed requirements apply.

  3. 3

    Have the payer sign and date it

    The USCIS page says the payer signs Form G-1651 in the space provided for their signature, and unsigned forms are rejected. This page lets you fill the form online free, then print it for signature.

  4. 4

    Use one form per payer

    The page says USCIS needs only one Form G-1651 for each payer, even when that payer pays for more than one application, and recommends a separate paper payment for each application.

  5. 5

    Prepare the paper payment

    The page lists a personal or business check, money order, bank draft or cashier's check. A check is made out to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (not USDHS or DHS), dated in U.S. format and within the previous 365 days.

  6. 6

    Place it on top of the benefit request

    The page says to place Form G-1651 on top of the completed benefit request, along with the fee payment, and mail it to the filing location for that form.

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Where to file, payment and fees

Where to file

Form G-1651 is not mailed to its own address. The USCIS page says to mail the benefit request to the filing location listed in the Where to File section of the page for the form being submitted.

Paying at a Field Office

The page says the form is filed when paying fees by mail or in person at a Field Office. An in-person payment at a field office needs an appointment made through the Contact Center.

Never filed by itself

The page says Form G-1651 cannot be submitted separately, before or after the benefit request. If USCIS approves it, the paper payments are processed and the request is still subject to all other fee and submission requirements.

Fee

The USCIS page says there is no fee to file Form G-1651. Fees for the benefit request it goes with are on the USCIS Fee Schedule page (Form G-1055), which can change. Check it on the day you file.

How checks are processed

The page says a check is converted into an electronic funds transfer. A payment returned for insufficient funds is resubmitted one time, and the filing is rejected if it is returned a second time.

Separate payments for each request

USCIS recommends paying each filing fee separately. A single combined payment can lead it to reject a whole package when one request is defective, or when the forms are processed in different systems.

Related forms

Who files Form G-1651?

  • Payers without banking access

    The first exemption on the form is for a payer who does not have access to banking services or electronic payment systems.

  • Payers facing undue hardship

    The second exemption covers cases where electronic disbursement would cause undue hardship, as contemplated in 31 C.F.R. Part 208.

  • National security or law enforcement cases

    The third exemption is for national security or law enforcement related activities where non-electronic transactions are necessary or desirable.

  • Other circumstances set by Treasury

    The fourth exemption covers other circumstances as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, as reflected in regulations or other guidance.

  • The payer, not always the applicant

    The USCIS page says the payer seeking the exemption completes and signs Form G-1651. The form lets the payer attest on their own behalf or on behalf of the benefit requestor.

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Questions about Form G-1651

Is there a fee to file Form G-1651?

No. The USCIS page says there is no fee to file Form G-1651. The fees for the benefit request it accompanies are on the USCIS Fee Schedule page.

Can Form G-1651 be sent on its own?

No. The USCIS page says it is submitted with the completed benefit request and payment, and cannot be sent separately either before or after the request.

Does each family member need a separate Form G-1651?

The page says one Form G-1651 is needed for each payer. One payer covering several applications sends one form, with a separate paper payment for each application.

Which paper payments does USCIS accept with Form G-1651?

The USCIS page lists a personal or business check, money order, bank draft or cashier's check, sent with a properly completed Form G-1651.

What if the payer can pay electronically?

The USCIS page says electronically filed requests are paid through Pay.gov, and mailed requests can use Form G-1650 for ACH debit or Form G-1450 for credit, debit and prepaid card payments.

Is there a separate instructions document for Form G-1651?

USCIS lists only the form PDF for download. The filing details, including the payment rules and examples, are on the Form G-1651 page.