Cannot pay immigrant fee before travel to the US

[Vivianppdh 0]

I tried to pay immigrant fee under the instruction on the immgration package, but I cannot not proceed as it show "could not find the A- number". I have tried the AI support and call 800 number. It cannot solve my problem with lopping dead ends. So frustrated. Anyone can advice where (website) should I seek for help, as the immgration package suggest: "You must pay before you travel to the United States. You will not receive your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant fee." Thanks in advance.

[milimelo 4,838]

You can pay after entry but there are instructions on A number - you just remove first two? zeroes from the start of the number - it's in your visa - and USCIS has pictures of visas and how to find your number. 

[appleblossom 4,905]

15 hours ago, Vivianppdh said:

I tried to pay immigrant fee under the instruction on the immgration package, but I cannot not proceed as it show "could not find the A- number". I have tried the AI support and call 800 number. It cannot solve my problem with lopping dead ends. So frustrated. Anyone can advice where (website) should I seek for help, as the immgration package suggest: "You must pay before you travel to the United States. You will not receive your Green Card until you have paid the USCIS Immigrant fee." Thanks in advance.

Does your A number not meet the requirements below? 

 

“Your A-Number is the letter “A” followed by 7, 8 or 9 numbers (such as A012345678). On a visa stamp, your A-Number is identified as a Registration Number.

• If your A-Number is fewer than 9 digits, the system will automatically add zero(s) after the “A” and before the first digit so there is a total of 9 digits, for example: A-001234567.”

[mmju 0]

I have tried all the formats for A-Number (my given A-number is A plus 8 digits); with adding "0" and without adding "0," all my trials prompt the following alert:

"We could not find the A-Number or Department of State ID you entered

Contact the USCIS Contact Center for assistance."

It's so frustrating to find support in the dead-ended "USCIS Contact Center for assistance."

[Crazy Cat 45,289]

8 hours ago, mmju said:

I have tried all the formats for A-Number (my given A-number is A plus 8 digits); with adding "0" and without adding "0," all my trials prompt the following alert:

"We could not find the A-Number or Department of State ID you entered

Contact the USCIS Contact Center for assistance."

It's so frustrating to find support in the dead-ended "USCIS Contact Center for assistance."

Are you sure you are entering the DOS case number correctly?  That error message says it could be either the A number or the DOS Case number.

[mmju 0]

On 9/15/2025 at 6:55 PM, Crazy Cat said:

Are you sure you are entering the DOS case number correctly?  That error message says it could be either the A number or the DOS Case number.

You might be right. Maybe I misread the message. Where can I find my DOS case number? Under my immigration package, I got the information for the A-Number and Case ID (starting with "HNK"), but I cannot find any DOS case number. In navigating the USCIS websites, it asks for my case ID or receipt number. As I am a follow-to-join case, my family paid for the immigration process many years ago, and I have not paid anything recently. Please advise where I can find my DOS number. BTW, what does DOS stand for?

[TBoneTX 47,952]

23 minutes ago, mmju said:

what does DOS stand for?

Department of State.

[mmju 0]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

Department of State.

Thanks for your clarification. I did input the correct Case ID or DOS Case ID , according to my "Immigrant Data Summary" sheet attached to my immigration package (which I have been using for the past twenty years of my family's immigration application process). In fact, I tried multiple websites under USCIS; I cannot proceed. Under Crazy Cat's suggestion, I tried again with only the A-Number; without entering the next "DOS case ID," nothing prompted. However, once I input "HNK" without the following 10 digits under the "DOS case ID". The system alerts with the above-mentioned message.

 

In fact, I tried to send feedback/messages via "https://www.usvisascheduling.com," which was previously my only way of contact for my immigration process. No response. My relative also tried to call the 800 number of the USCIS contact center. It's also another dead end.

 

Under the "USCIS IMMIGRANT FEE" advice sheet received after the interview (as attached), it advises me to go to "https://my.uscis.gov/uscis-immigrant-fee," but it shows a "404 Error" and "Sorry, we cannot find the requested page." My relative tried the same link in the US and got the same 404 Error page. Then, we click the suggested "Go to the myUSCIS homepage." and send the problem to "How to contact us for technical support."The email replied with the standard message on "Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID", and I am sure I did everything as advised with the correct input of numbers received. I am so worried that I will be banned at the POE if I have not paid the immigrant fee before traveling to the US, as it is bold in the payment advice sheet that "You must pay before you travel to the United States." Since I am a follow-to-joint case, I will enter the US or arrive at the POE alone.

USCIS immigrant fee.PDF

[Crazy Cat 45,289]

3 hours ago, mmju said:

Under Crazy Cat's suggestion, I tried again with only the A-Number; without entering the next "DOS case ID," nothing prompted.

You misunderstood what I said.  I said maybe the DOS case number was entered incorrectly. 

[Crazy Cat 45,289]

3 hours ago, mmju said:

according to my "Immigrant Data Summary" sheet attached to my immigration package (which I have been using for the past twenty years of my family's immigration application process).

The 2 numbers you need are on the visa itself.  Maybe your sheet is wrong. 

3 hours ago, mmju said:

I am so worried that I will be banned at the POE if I have not paid the immigrant fee before traveling to the US, as it is bold in the payment advice sheet that "You must pay before you travel to the United States.

You do NOT have to pay before traveling.

[appleblossom 4,905]

5 hours ago, mmju said:

I am so worried that I will be banned at the POE if I have not paid the immigrant fee before traveling to the US, as it is bold in the payment advice sheet that "You must pay before you travel to the United States."

 

Ours were paid after we arrived. They just don't start the process until you've paid the fee and entered, so it will delay the green card a bit, but you can pay it anytime. It even says that on the payment page itself - https://my.uscis.gov/accounts/uscis-immigrant-fee/start/overview "You may also pay the fee after you arrive in the United States"

 

As said above, the info you need is on the visa so only use those numbers. The DOS case number is your 'IV Case Number'. 

Edited 22 hours ago by appleblossom

[mmju 0]

17 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

The 2 numbers you need are on the visa itself.  Maybe your sheet is wrong. 

You do NOT have to pay before traveling.

I have double-checked with the number on my visa stamp in my passport.  Both numbers are the same as the "Data Summary Sheet."

[mmju 0]

15 hours ago, appleblossom said:

 

Ours were paid after we arrived. They just don't start the process until you've paid the fee and entered, so it will delay the green card a bit, but you can pay it anytime. It even says that on the payment page itself - https://my.uscis.gov/accounts/uscis-immigrant-fee/start/overview "You may also pay the fee after you arrive in the United States"

 

As said above, the info you need is on the visa so only use those numbers. The DOS case number is your 'IV Case Number'. 

Thanks for your referred web page. The given instructions on the "Payment of Immigrant Fee" cause so much worry about the potential blockage at the POE. My relatives also paid after arrival at POE a couple of years ago. They said that the visa on the passport is a valid document for staying in the US for the first year after arrival. Hopefully, the processing of the green card will not be delayed for so long.

[appleblossom 4,905]

2 hours ago, mmju said:

Thanks for your referred web page. The given instructions on the "Payment of Immigrant Fee" cause so much worry about the potential blockage at the POE. My relatives also paid after arrival at POE a couple of years ago. They said that the visa on the passport is a valid document for staying in the US for the first year after arrival. Hopefully, the processing of the green card will not be delayed for so long.

 

Yes, once the visa is endorsed it acts as a temporary green card. The plastic one should arrive within about 90 days from you entering on the visa or paying the fee, whichever is the latest. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs
 

Can you share the numbers you’re using to try and pay the fee? Not the exact numbers obviously, replace them with different ones but just the format of them so we can check. And when does your visa expire? 

Edited 4 hours ago by appleblossom