How to request a USCIS fee waiver with Form I-912

A fee waiver is not available for every USCIS fee

Form I-912 only applies when USCIS allows a fee waiver for the specific benefit request and filing category. Some fees are already $0 and need no waiver, while certain additional fees required by Public Law 119-21 cannot be waived. Check the current Form G-1055 for the exact form and category before you prepare this request.

1. Confirm that the underlying USCIS filing is eligible

Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, is used to ask U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to waive an eligible filing fee because the requestor cannot pay it. A fee waiver does not create eligibility for the immigration benefit itself, and it does not apply automatically to every USCIS form or every filing category.

Start with the current Form G-1055 Fee Schedule and the page for the application, petition, or request you are filing. If that category is fee-exempt and listed as $0, you do not need Form I-912 merely to claim the exemption. If the fee is not waivable, Form I-912 cannot replace the required payment.

2. Use one of the current inability-to-pay bases

USCIS currently recognizes three general ways to establish inability to pay for an otherwise eligible fee waiver. You only need to establish one basis, although the form allows more than one when appropriate:

Means-tested benefit: you, your spouse, or another qualifying household member identified by the current form is receiving a public benefit whose eligibility or amount is based on income and resources.
Household income: documented household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines in effect when you file.
Financial hardship: circumstances such as a substantial change in income, medical expenses, homelessness, disaster losses, or other documented hardship make you unable to pay the eligible fee.

Do not assume that receiving any government service proves eligibility. Follow the current I-912 instructions for who counts in the household and what evidence USCIS accepts for the basis you select.

3. Check whether Form I-912 or a written request is appropriate

USCIS currently permits eligible fee-waiver requests using Form I-912 or, where allowed, a written fee-waiver request. Form I-912 provides a structured way to identify the benefit requests, household information, basis for the waiver, evidence, and signatures.

For most USCIS forms, requesting a fee waiver means the underlying benefit request cannot be filed through the ordinary online filing flow. USCIS directs most requestors to submit the paper benefit request together with Form I-912 or the permitted written request. Check the current instructions for the underlying form because limited filing methods can differ by category.

4. Use the current edition

As reviewed August 29, 2026, the USCIS Form I-912 page lists edition 07/22/25. Do not use the OMB expiration date to decide whether an edition is accepted. Before mailing, confirm the edition date on the live USCIS I-912 page and make sure all pages come from the same accepted edition.

5. Prepare evidence for the basis you selected

Means-tested benefit: use a current notice, letter, or other official evidence showing the recipient, benefit-granting agency, type of benefit, and enough information to show the benefit is current. A benefit card by itself may not contain enough information.

Income basis: follow the current instructions for household size and income. Evidence may include recent federal tax records, Forms W-2, pay statements, or other records USCIS accepts. Use the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the filing date; do not reuse a dollar threshold from an older year.

Financial hardship: explain the circumstances and provide records that support the inability to pay, such as income records, unemployment information, housing expenses, medical bills, disaster or emergency records, or other relevant documentation.

6. Identify every benefit request covered by the fee-waiver package

Form I-912 includes a section for the applications or petitions for which the fee waiver is requested. Enter the correct form numbers and requestors and follow the current instructions if family members are filing together. A fee waiver for one form does not automatically waive a different fee or a separate additional charge.

7. Do not omit nonwaivable additional fees

USCIS states that certain additional immigration fees required by Public Law 119-21 are not eligible for a fee waiver. If the underlying benefit request has both a USCIS filing fee that may be waived and a separate nonwaivable statutory fee, you must still submit the nonwaivable amount in the manner USCIS requires. The current G-1055 controls.

8. File the waiver request with the underlying form

Form I-912 is not a stand-alone immigration benefit. Submit it with the paper application, petition, or request whose fee you want waived, using the filing location and assembly instructions for that underlying filing. Do not mail I-912 to a general USCIS headquarters address just because that address appears on another USCIS page.

There is no separate I-912 deadline that extends the deadline for the underlying benefit request. If the application or petition has a statutory, regulatory, or notice-based filing window, the complete package still must satisfy that timing rule.

9. Review signatures, translations, and copies

Complete all required sections for the basis you are using.
Sign the request as required by the current form and instructions.
Include supporting documents for each basis you want USCIS to consider.
Provide complete certified English translations for foreign-language evidence when USCIS rules require them.
Keep a full copy of the I-912, evidence, underlying benefit request, and delivery proof.

10. Understand what happens after filing

If USCIS grants the fee waiver, it can accept the eligible underlying filing without the waived USCIS filing fee. If USCIS does not grant the waiver and a required fee is missing, the benefit request can be rejected. A rejected request is generally not treated as properly filed, so a time-sensitive filing may require prompt correction and resubmission.

Read any rejection or receipt notice carefully. Do not assume that a fee-waiver request pauses an immigration deadline or guarantees that USCIS will accept the underlying filing.

11. Get authorized help when the consequence of rejection is serious

A fee-waiver request is financial documentation attached to an immigration filing. If the underlying case involves removal proceedings, expiring status, a filing deadline, abuse or confidentiality protections, prior denials, criminal history, or another legally complex issue, consider help from an attorney authorized to practice immigration law or a Department of Justice–accredited representative.

Request a USCIS fee waiver with Form I-912