Visa K1 rejected because of fees

[Dysphobiah 40]

Hi everyone,

 

I need some help actually. I prepared my K1 file with my fiancé in December, and we sent it in express to the Lewisville lockbox the 12/19. We tracked the package on the website of the delivery services, and the file has been receive the 12/22.

But my fiancé just received today a letter from USCIS, they rejected our file because of incorrect fees.

We put a money order of $340 with the file, the fees changed since the date of 12/23, but they received the file the 12/22, one day before, so it should be okay, and it was the right fees at this moment..!

Do you think they rejected our file because they expected the new fees that changed the 12/23 ?

Or because they didn't accepted the money order which was made with MoneyGram ?

 

I really need your help because we have to apply again, and I don't know what happened..

[Ash.1101 1,755]

They -should- have taken it because it was post-marked BEFORE the fee change.


Was everything written correctly on the MoneyGram? I know some people have had theirs kicked back because they wrote their check/Money Order in an incorrect format, either the To: " U.S. Department of Homeland Security  " was wrong, or something was wrong.

Here's USCIS standards for a check if you want to look over and see if you missed anything. Money Orders are a bit different, but just see if everything matches up for the most part.

 

1. Write the date you are filling out the check including:  month, day and year.  Important note: Write the date of the check in the U.S. style of month/day/year. (Example: January 4, 2017 or 1/4/17, but not 4/1/17.)
2. On the "Pay to the Order of" line write:  "U.S. Department of Homeland Security."
3. Write in numbers the exact dollar amount of the fee for the service you are requesting.  In the example, the amount is "$725.00."
4. Spell out the exact dollar amount of the fee for the service you are requesting.  The "cents" portion of the amount should be written as a fraction over 100.  In this example, the amount is "Seven hundred twenty-five and 00/100."
5. Write a brief description of the purpose of your payment.  In this example, it is "N-400 application and biometric services fee." Sign the check using your legal signature. 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/paying-immigration-fees

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Ash.1101

[JimJesDuma 472]

Texas Lock box employee not paying attention.

Case received before 11:59pm on 12/22/2016 still qualifies for old fee.

1.) keep that tracking to show proof of delivery.

They accept money order, Cashiers check's and personal checks.

2.) contact texas lock box and tell them what happened however if they send your entire file BACK to you you may have to just resend with new fee AND new version of I-129F

 

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/directorates-and-program-offices/lockbox-intake/office-intake-and-document-production

 

Jim

Edited January 12, 2017 by JimJesDuma

[Unlockable 7,306]

MoneyGram money order is official. They shouldn't have had a problem with the money order itself.

 

You have 2 options...

 

You can contest the rejection with the tracking you have of the reciept of your petition. This will likely cause some delay as they look into it.

 

Or you can charge it off and resend it with the correct amount so you can get the process started sooner rather than later.

[Dysphobiah 40]

Yes, they us send the entire file back.

I think it will be better to send them back with the new fees rather than contest their rejection, because in any case I will have to send them again the whole package..

This rejection is causing more delay, and I want that the process really start as soon as possible. I don't want to waste time, the whole process is already too long..

 

Concerning the money order, when I went to MoneyGram, they just gave me my own receipt with the reference number that I have to give to the USCIS. They didn't give me any paper or receipt to send to the USCIS itself.

So I just just attached to the file a sheet of paper telling them that they have to go to a MoneyGram location to take the money. I wrote the right amount, the name of the beneficiary (US Department of Homeland Security),

and the reference number (I attached the exact paper to this post, to show you how I did it).

 

Also there is another thing, when I bought the money order at MoneyGram, they needed to have a name AND a surname for the beneficiary, so they wrote it this way :

First name : US Department of

Surname : Homeland Security

 

Maybe that's what caused this problem..? The thing is we can only pay by money order, so I really hope it's not because of the money order itself but because they didn't paid attention to the date..

Paying Fee exemple.pdf

[Lemonslice 4,549]

The document  you are showing in the example states " You have to go to a MoneyGram location to receive the money." - if that is the piece of paper you attached to your documents, that is the problem as they will not be able to deposit it with postal money orders and regular cheques.  

 

USPS money orders look a bit like cheques and you can deposit them at the bank. See 

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Lemonslice

[Unlockable 7,306]

Was it an actual money order or a money transfer with a reciept?

 

FYI, Walmart has money orders for $0.75.

[Dysphobiah 40]

I guess it was a money transfer with a receipt, because I was the only one to have a receipt with the number on it, they didn't give me anything to give to the receiver.

There is a real difference between money order and money transfer ?

We can't make real money order with MoneyGram or Western Union..?

Because it's the only way for us to pay since we are actually filing from France, and these are the only international institution we know. :/

[Unlockable 7,306]

It should be a legitimate US money order. You have to be sure next time.

 

The difference is a money order is a physical currency note that can be cashed or deposited at financial institutions (banks, credit unions). 

A money transfer is sending money from one location to another. Usually within the same network. A money transfer receipt is not any form of currency.

 

Basically if you sent USCIS a money transfer receipt they would have to send someone to a moneygram location to retrieve the funds. And they do not operate like that. 

 

 

[Dysphobiah 40]

Oh, alright.. So that's the problem.. I didn't knew that money order could be cashed directly to a bank, that's why I thought it was okay to do this way :/

So Money order like this one should work, they will be able to deposit it to their bank..?

We will try to see if we can ask to someone to buy an USPS money order for us..

 

 

[Lemonslice 4,549]

If your fiancé still has an American bank account, s/he could write a cheque.  Otherwise, you can have a famiily member or friend send you a cheque (make sure they fill it properly) and you send them the money or write a IOU if they can wait  a bit.

 

Otherwise, banks can issue a "Chèque certifié en devises étrangères" - I've done it at the Banque populaire and Société générale.  Usually, the clerk does not know what you are talking about and will have to inquire and place the order. It is expensive, so last resort solution.

 

Moneygram should be able to give you your money back, not sure how that works.

[Dysphobiah 40]

Yes, I don't worry for MoneyGram, they told me I will be able to get my money back because the beneficiary didn't take the money.

 

We will use an USPS money order this time ! It should be okay.

But now I have an another question ^^ We have to write the address of the beneficiary on it. Which address of the USCIS we can put..?

We will send the file in express, at the Lewisville address like I did before. Should we put the Lewisville address or the P.O box from Dallas ? 

 

Sorry for all these questions but this situation stress me a lot and I don't want to make an another mistake ^^

Edited January 12, 2017 by Dysphobiah

[kareelina 42]

we paid for the GC before 23rd of December but we were charged with the new fees $220  instead of $165

[Ash.1101 1,755]

7 hours ago, Dysphobiah said:

Yes, I don't worry for MoneyGram, they told me I will be able to get my money back because the beneficiary didn't take the money.

 

We will use an USPS money order this time ! It should be okay.

But now I have an another question ^^ We have to write the address of the beneficiary on it. Which address of the USCIS we can put..?

We will send the file in express, at the Lewisville address like I did before. Should we put the Lewisville address or the P.O box from Dallas ? 

 

Sorry for all these questions but this situation stress me a lot and I don't want to make an another mistake ^^

On Money Orders you write the purchasers address, not the person receiving it. The only USCIS related thing you should be writing on there is the " U.S. Department of Homeland Security " for the payee and then "Fee for I-129F" in the payment for account/memo section. Other than that, it's your address and signature on the front.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Ash.1101

[Ash.1101 1,755]

Note, when you buy a money order, all they should ask for is how much you want on the money order, and MAYBE how are you paying for it. They don't need ANY other information for a money order. The money order should come blank and YOU fill it out. If they start asking for first name and last name, you aren't doing a money order.

Honestly the fact that someone at the Moneygram place let you put
 

First name : US Department of

Surname : Homeland Security

on anything is wrong and that person working there should be ashamed for not helping you. We do transfers normally where I work and I don't see ANYONE that works in the business center allowing that to go through at all.