Paying IV Fees by Mail - Is This Really My Only Option Right Now?

[Bogota Rocks 8]

Hi everyone,

I received an IV fee invoice on June 10th to pay the fee for my wife's visa. I have already filled out the DS-261, paid the AOS fee and sent in the AOS and IV documents (which were scanned June 11th). It has been a week, and I am still not able to pay the IV fee in the CEAC portal.

So I called the NVC this morning, and they told me that due to the website issues the NVC has been experiencing recently, the NVC cannot guarantee that I will ever be able to pay the fee online. Ever? Forever ever? That's right, they cannot guarantee that I will ever be able to pay the IV fee online. He said to pay by physical mail, that's it's the only way the process will ever be able to move forward, guaranteed.

I thought this was a pretty drastic response. I have my doubts at this point that mailing my fee to that PO box in St. Louis will be smooth process. So many stars have to align until the cashier's check or money order becomes a PAID status in the CEAC portal. It feels almost as risky as waiting however many days it takes for the website to work again. I also am not sure that I will get the same answer from a different agent if I call back a different day. I am a little torn on what to do next.

Should I wait a little more time to see if the website lets me pay the IV fees, or send the fee by post ASAP? I have heard that even in the best of times, it might take the website up to 2 weeks after the invoice is received to let me pay the IV fee. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

It's kind of poop either way you go, a lot of us on the nvc thread paid early middle May by mail and still can't get the ds-260, so either way you go it's kind of a lose lose . Sorry to bring the bad news but theirs not much advice to give . It's up to you what to choose .

Edited June 18, 2015 by Morganalmonshid94

[RF_COK/JFK 7]

in the same situation as you...idk what to do, when i couldnt access my AOS bill, nvc told me to mail it, but i waited and paid online like 3 weeks later....

hey morgan was anyone that paid their IV bill online were they able to do their ds 260?

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

in the same situation as you...idk what to do, when i couldnt access my AOS bill, nvc told me to mail it, but i waited and paid online like 3 weeks later....

hey morgan was anyone that paid their IV bill online were they able to do their ds 260?

a few people recently have yes, I paid by mail middle of May and my iv fee will not go to paid and iv app is n/a . I decided to take a risk and just pay it online again about an hour ago and the iv fee now says in process and the iv app switched to "not started" I can't click it yet but I'm hoping when it switches to paid I can click and start the iv application .

[Bogota Rocks 8]

Hey Morgan,

How long did it take from when you received the IV fee invoice until you saw in the portal that it would be possible to pay the IV fee online?

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

Hey Morgan,

How long did it take from when you received the IV fee invoice until you saw in the portal that it would be possible to pay the IV fee online?

I got my invoice on May 8th didn't show the fee to where I could pay it till June 4th . So you see how bad it can be lol .

[fridaab 17]

I´m on the same boat.. Have been waiting for it to show up online but nothing yet. Will call them today to see what they tell me.

Morgan, at least you could access it online finally, hopefully that shows that the rep saying it might never be possible to pay online is wrong..

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

I´m on the same boat.. Have been waiting for it to show up online but nothing yet. Will call them today to see what they tell me.

Morgan, at least you could access it online finally, hopefully that shows that the rep saying it might never be possible to pay online is wrong..

yeah but sadly I had already paid it by mail (mistake) by the time it got fixed so I've had to pay it again to see if it will work in my favor who knows . They are just a mess right now .

[fridaab 17]

yeah but sadly I had already paid it by mail (mistake) by the time it got fixed so I've had to pay it again to see if it will work in my favor who knows . They are just a mess right now .

I sure hope they refund you.. Yea, a big mess. We really don't wanna pay by mail..

Got them on the phone right now, lets see what they suggest me to do with the IV fee..

Edited June 18, 2015 by fridaab

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

I sure hope they refund you.. Yea, a big mess. We really don't wanna pay by mail..

Got them on the phone right now, lets see what they suggest me to do with the IV fee..

they told me to send a email requesting a refund so hopefully it'll work out, and you might want to go to a supervisor the first level reps are the most useless people in the world supervisors still useless but slightly less lol .

[Morganalmonshid94 84]

I sure hope they refund you.. Yea, a big mess. We really don't wanna pay by mail..

Got them on the phone right now, lets see what they suggest me to do with the IV fee..

whoops got posted twice cause of my internet connection sorry about that . Edited June 18, 2015 by Morganalmonshid94

[fridaab 17]

they told me to send a email requesting a refund so hopefully it'll work out, and you might want to go to a supervisor the first level reps are the most useless people in the world supervisors still useless but slightly less lol .

Ok, hope it works out!

Just got off the phone w them.. Basically it takes up to 21 days for the fee to be processed if we send it in by mail, and if the website is still having problems we won't be able to do ds260 either way.. Might just wait for the website and pay online, I don't know what to do at this point..

[wodm 1]

Ok, hope it works out!

Just got off the phone w them.. Basically it takes up to 21 days for the fee to be processed if we send it in by mail, and if the website is still having problems we won't be able to do ds260 either way.. Might just wait for the website and pay online, I don't know what to do at this point..

I sent my AOS fees by mail and it got processed 48hours later and I got a confirmation email one week later.

[fridaab 17]

I sent my AOS fees by mail and it got processed 48hours later and I got a confirmation email one week later.

Thats great!! Have you sent in the IV fee also?

[wodm 1]

Thats great!! Have you sent in the IV fee also?

Yes I sent it Monday and they received it Tuesday. I did not call yet to inquiry if they have processed it or not yet. I may call them today if I have time or tomorrow for sure.