F-1 Visa Fee Calculator: SEVIS, MRV and Integrity Fee
Short answer. An F-1 visa from India costs $535 in fees before the interview: the $185 visa application fee and the $350 SEVIS fee. After a refusal, reapplying within 12 months costs only the $185 again. A Visa Integrity Fee of at least $250, charged only when a visa is issued, is law but not yet on India’s fee page.
Uses the $185 F visa application fee from the official US visa appointment service for India, the $350 SEVIS I-901 fee from ICE, and the Visa Integrity Fee in Public Law 119-21, checked in October 2026. The integrity fee is shown at its $250 base; the law adjusts it for inflation each year.
The two fees every F-1 applicant pays
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | When | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEVIS I-901 | $350 | ICE, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program | After you get your I-20, before the interview | No |
| Visa application (MRV) | $185 | US Department of State, through the India appointment service | Before booking your appointment | No |
| Visa Integrity Fee | $250 base | Department of Homeland Security | Only when the visa is issued | Possible reimbursement under the law, no process published |
The MRV fee is the same $185 for every F visa, including F-2 visas for your spouse and children, and it must be paid whether or not the visa is issued. The receipt is valid for 365 days, and you must book your appointment within that time. The SEVIS fee is tied to your SEVIS ID on the I-20 and is paid once per student. ICE states that F-2 dependants pay no SEVIS fee.
Some nationalities also pay a visa issuance fee, known as a reciprocity fee, which the State Department lists by country. Check the reciprocity table for India before your interview. The DS-160 itself is free; our DS-160 guide walks through it.
What a refusal actually costs
A 214(b) refusal is common, and students often assume the whole $535 is lost and must be paid again. It is not. ICE’s fee rules say an applicant who was denied a visa does not pay the SEVIS fee again if they reapply within 12 months of the original payment, as long as the SEVIS ID stays the same. Only the $185 visa application fee is due for each new interview.
| Scenario | Student alone | Student plus spouse |
|---|---|---|
| Approved at first interview | $535 | $720 |
| One refusal, reapply within 12 months | $720 | $1,090 |
| Two refusals, within 12 months | $905 | $1,460 |
| One refusal, reapply after 12 months | $1,070 | $1,440 |
If a new university issues you a new I-20 with a new SEVIS ID, the fee does not carry over automatically. ICE asks you to request a fee transfer, so contact SEVP before paying twice.
The Visa Integrity Fee
The law signed in July 2025, Public Law 119-21, requires anyone issued a non-immigrant visa to pay a Visa Integrity Fee at the time of issue. It starts at $250, rises each year with US inflation, and cannot be waived. Because it is charged on issue, a refused applicant does not pay it. The law also allows a reimbursement after the visa expires for people who kept to its conditions, such as not working without authorisation.
What is unclear is when Indian students start paying it. When we checked in October 2026, the official visa fee page for India listed the $185 application fee and the SEVIS fee, but not the integrity fee. The calculator shows it separately so you can budget for it either way.
Faz's rulePay these fees from your own account, never from the loan.
Education loans are usually disbursed to the university near the start of the semester, after the visa is done. So the $535, plus a cushion of $185 per person in case of a refusal, has to come from your family’s savings. Pay with a card in your or a parent’s name and keep both receipts, because the consulate checks the SEVIS payment and you need the MRV receipt to book.
The interview is where most of the risk sits, so prepare with our F-1 visa interview questions guide and the full US student visa guide. The fees are small next to the money you must show on your I-20; the proof of funds calculator and our cost of studying in the USA guide cover that.
Questions people ask
What is the F-1 visa fee for Indian students?
$185 for the visa application, plus the $350 SEVIS I-901 fee, so $535 in total before the interview. A Visa Integrity Fee of at least $250 on issue is in US law but was not on India’s fee page in October 2026.
Do I pay the SEVIS fee again after an F-1 refusal?
No, if you reapply within 12 months of paying it and keep the same SEVIS ID. You only pay the $185 visa application fee again.
Does an F-2 dependant pay the SEVIS fee?
No. ICE lists the SEVIS fee for spouses and children on F-2 visas as none. They do pay the $185 visa application fee each.
How long is the US visa fee receipt valid?
365 days from the date the receipt is issued. You must schedule your appointment within that period.
Is the US visa fee refundable if my visa is refused?
No. Both the visa application fee and the SEVIS fee are non-refundable. The Visa Integrity Fee is only charged when a visa is issued, so a refusal does not trigger it.
Where these rules come from
- US visa appointment service for India, pay your visa fees
- ICE, I-901 SEVIS fee amounts
- ICE, I-901 SEVIS fee frequently asked questions
- Study in the States, paying the I-901 SEVIS fee
- Public Law 119-21, section 100007, Visa Integrity Fee
Checked in October 2026. US visa fees change by regulation; the amount on the official fee page when you pay is what applies.