I-912

Request for Fee Waiver

Agency
USCIS
Revision
07/22/25
Fillable fields
221
Pages
8
Official source
USCIS form page
Checked
October 14, 2026
Fill I-912 online
Page 1 of form I-912

Form I-912: Request for Fee Waiver

Form I-912 is how you ask USCIS to waive the filing fee, and the biometric services fee where it applies, for an eligible application or petition. You have to show clearly that you cannot pay. You qualify through one of three routes: a means-tested benefit, household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or financial hardship.

The waiver is not available for every form. USCIS can only approve waivers for forms and types of filing on a list, and it cannot waive the fees created by H.R.-1, Pub. L. 119-21. The request must be filed together with the application or petition it supports, and not after USCIS has received that application.

You can fill the form online on this page for free and without an account. Then print it, sign it and put it with your application or petition. Attach the proof for the route you chose.

Page 1 of Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, with the title area and the Part 1 basis for your request

What's on Form I-912

Part 1. Basis for your request

You pick one or more bases (means-tested benefit, income, or financial hardship) and give your current status. You complete only the parts for the bases you choose.

Part 2. Information about you

Name, other names, A-Number, online account number, date of birth, Social Security number and marital status.

Part 3. Forms you want waived

A table of the form numbers and number of filings for you and any family members.

Part 4. Means-tested benefits

The benefit, agency and recipient, with documents showing current receipt.

Part 5. Income at or below 150 percent of poverty guidelines

Employment status, household size, who heads the household, annual income of you and others, total household income, and explanations.

Part 6. Financial hardship

The circumstances, your assets, and monthly expenses and liabilities.

Parts 7 to 9. Signatures

Requestor's statement and signature, interpreter's certification, and preparer's declaration.

Part 10. Additional information

Extra space for longer answers.

How to fill out Form I-912

  1. 1

    Part 1: choose your basis

    Select the basis or bases you qualify under. You do not have to complete every section, only those matching your choice.

    Form I-912 Part 1 with one or more basis boxes checked and the current status entered
  2. 2

    Part 2: requestor details

    Give your full legal name. If you have two last names, put both in Family Name with a hyphen if appropriate. Write N/A if you have no middle name or no A-Number. The request must be submitted in the name of the primary applicant.

    Form I-912 Part 2 with the requestor's full legal name and A-Number or N/A, sample values
  3. 3

    Part 3: list the forms

    Fill the table with every form number you want waived, for you and for family members. One I-912 can cover related applications filed together, such as an I-485 and an I-765.

    Form I-912 Part 3 table listing an I-485 and an I-765 for one family, sample values
  4. 4

    Part 4: means-tested benefit

    Complete the table if you, your spouse, your child living with you, or your parent (if you are under 21 or disabled) receives a benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, TANF or SSI. Medicare, unemployment benefits, Social Security retirement and SSDI, and student aid do not count.

    Form I-912 Part 4 with a benefit type, agency and award dates entered in the benefit table, sample values
  5. 5

    Part 5: income route

    Your adjusted gross household income must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size when you file. Enter household size, earners and annual income from your tax return or recent pay records.

    Form I-912 Part 5 with household size, earners and annual income, using sample values
  6. 6

    Part 5, Item 9: explain differences

    Say whether anything on your tax return differs from this form, and why. Describe special circumstances such as recent unemployment here.

    Form I-912 Part 5 Item 9, the explanation of differences from the tax return, with sample text
  7. 7

    Part 6: hardship route

    Describe the hardship, for example illness, unemployment, eviction, homelessness, natural disaster or loss of work hours. List cash and other assets easily converted to cash, and average monthly expenses. Retirement accounts are excluded unless they are your only income.

    Form I-912 Part 6 with a hardship description, an asset list and monthly expenses, sample values
  8. 8

    Part 7: sign

    Sign and date by hand. An unsigned form is rejected. An eligible representative signs for a person under 14 or mentally incompetent.

    Form I-912 Part 7 with the requestor's ink signature and the date

Type or print in black ink. Use N/A where an item does not apply and None for a numeric zero.

Why fill Form I-912 on indox

You get the real form, filled in a browser tab, with nothing standing between you and the finished PDF.

  • Fill the form right in your browser, no software to install
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  • The official blank straight from the USCIS, not a copy someone retyped
  • Works on a phone, tablet or computer

Deadlines, fees and where to send Form I-912

Where it goes

Attach it, with your supporting documents, to the application or petition it supports and mail them to the address in that form's instructions. For certain eligible forms you may upload the completed PDF with the form through your USCIS online account.

Timing

You cannot file Form I-912 after USCIS has already received the application or petition. Do not send it without the completed application.

Fee

Fees change, so check the USCIS fee schedule page for Form I-912.

Fees that cannot be waived

USCIS cannot waive fees required by H.R.-1. For some forms you can still request a waiver of the separate DHS fee, and you pay the H.R.-1 amount separately with your request or with a written request.

Edition

USCIS accepts the 07/22/25 edition, and also accepts prior editions or a written request.

Common mistakes

Sending it after the application has been received, asking for a waiver on a form not on the list, missing proof of current benefit receipt, documents more than 12 months old with no newer evidence, and no signature.

Related forms

Who needs to fill out Form I-912?

  • Applicants who cannot pay a fee

    You may request a waiver if you cannot pay the filing or biometric services fee for a benefit request that is eligible for a waiver.

  • A parent or guardian

    A parent or legal guardian can be the requestor for a child or for a person with a physical, developmental or mental disability who is the primary applicant. A parent or guardian may sign for someone under 14.

  • Applicants in protected categories

    You may request a waiver for any related application if you are, for example, a VAWA self-petitioner, T or U nonimmigrant, TPS recipient, special immigrant juvenile, asylee or refugee, and not otherwise fee exempt.

  • When you do not need it

    You do not file Form I-912 for an application that has no filing fee or when you qualify for a fee exemption based on your status.

  • Who cannot use it

    DACA requests. USCIS says there are no fee waivers for DACA, though limited fee exemptions exist.

The requestor is the primary applicant or petitioner who needs the waiver.

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Questions about Form I-912

Can I get a fee waiver for any USCIS form?

No. USCIS can only approve waivers for forms and types of filings on its eligible list. The list is on the I-912 page and in the instructions.

How do I qualify?

By receiving a means-tested benefit, by having household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or by showing financial hardship.

Does a fee waiver cover H.R.-1 fees?

No. USCIS cannot waive fees required by H.R.-1. A waiver of the separate DHS fee may still be available for some forms.

Can I send Form I-912 after I file?

No. USCIS says you cannot submit it after it has received the application or petition you want waived.

Can one Form I-912 cover my family?

Yes, you can file one for all family-related applications filed at the same time, as long as you send all forms together.

Is there a fee waiver for DACA?

No. USCIS says you may not file Form I-912 for DACA. Limited fee exemptions exist.