Request for Fee Waiver

Wizard gating question for whether the user is filing for themselves or as a parent / legal guardian on behalf of a child or disabled person.

Basis A. Available when the requestor, spouse, or head of household receives a means-tested benefit. Triggers Part 4 completion and a benefit notice attachment. Means-tested benefits include Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, SSI, Section 8 housing, CHIP, and WIC. SSDI and unemployment do NOT count as means-tested.

• Filers check Basis A based on receiving SSDI or unemployment. Those are not means-tested. USCIS denies if the only evidence is an SSDI award letter.
• Filers attach a benefit notice older than 12 months. USCIS requires the notice be dated within the past year.

Basis B. Available when total household income is at or below 150% of the HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines for the household size. Threshold updates each spring on the I-912P chart; check uscis.gov/i-912p before filing.

• Filers count gross income above the threshold but use net or after-tax income. USCIS uses gross.
• Filers undercount household size. USCIS counts you, your spouse, your dependent children under 21, and any other dependent listed on your tax return.

Basis C. Available when the requestor has a financial hardship that makes paying the fee impossible. Common triggers: medical debt, eviction, recent job loss, federally declared natural disaster, domestic violence. Requires a hardship narrative and supporting documents.

• Filers write a vague hardship narrative ('I am poor'). USCIS denies; the narrative must include specific dollar amounts and concrete consequences.
• Filers do not attach evidence. The hardship narrative without a single document attachment is almost always denied.

The requestor's current immigration or nonimmigrant status. USCIS uses this to verify eligibility for the underlying application.

Requestor's family name (last name). Must match the underlying application.

Requestor's given name. Must match the underlying application.

Requestor's A-Number, if any. Required for filers who have a green card, prior EAD, or any prior USCIS contact.

Requestor's date of birth.

Requestor's U.S. Social Security Number, if any. Optional; many fee-waiver filers do not have an SSN yet.

Requestor's marital status. The form has 7 options including 'Other (explain)'. Used by USCIS to size the household and to verify the spouse-on-benefits claim under Basis A.

Row 1 of Part 3: the form numbers being filed by the primary requestor (yourself). Type the USCIS form numbers separated by commas.

• Filers leave this blank because the form numbers are written elsewhere. USCIS uses Part 3 to assemble the full fee-waiver package.
• Filers list a form that is not eligible for a fee waiver (e.g., I-130). USCIS denies fee-waiver requests for ineligible underlying forms; check 8 CFR 106.3 for the eligible list.

Total count of forms across all rows. Used by USCIS to verify the fee-waiver scope.

Person receiving the means-tested benefit. Required when basis_means_tested = true.

Recipient's relationship to the requestor. Eligible relationships: Self, Spouse, Head of Household (parent if requestor is under 21).

Type of benefit. Acceptable types: Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, SSI, Section 8 housing, CHIP, WIC, similar federal-assistance programs. SSDI and unemployment are NOT acceptable.

Awarding agency name. Typically the state's HHS or social services department.

Date the benefit was awarded. Must support the dated-within-12-months rule for the benefit notice.

Date the benefit expires or must be renewed. USCIS expects the benefit to be active at the time of I-912 filing.

Required when basis_low_income = true. Drives the income picture USCIS reviews against the I-912P 150% FPG threshold.

Total household size. Drives which row of the I-912P chart applies to your case. Count yourself + spouse + dependent children under 21 + other dependents on your tax return.

Your annual income (gross). USCIS compares total household income against the I-912P 150% FPG threshold for your household size.

Combined annual income of all OTHER household earners. Add to your_annual_income to get total_household_income.

Sum of your income and all other earners' income. Must be at or below 150% FPG for your household size to qualify under Basis B.

Whether any household, income, or dependent change has happened since last tax filing. If yes, USCIS expects an explanation and supporting documentation.

Required free-text narrative for Basis C. Must include specific dollar amounts and dates. USCIS denies hardship requests with vague narratives.

Total liquid assets (cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds; excludes retirement accounts). USCIS compares against monthly expenses to assess hardship.

Total monthly expenses and liabilities. USCIS uses this with assets to assess whether paying the underlying fee is feasible.

Item 1.A vs 1.B in Part 7. Pick exactly one. If interpreter, the interpreter must complete and sign Part 8 (the wizard does not collect interpreter contact info).

Item 2 in Part 7. Pick true only if a preparer (attorney, paralegal, family member typing on the requestor's behalf) prepared this form for the requestor.

Requestor's daytime phone. Required for USCIS follow-up contact.

Wet-ink signature in Part 7 item 6. The wizard prints the typed name; the requestor must sign over it in ink before mailing.

• Each person listed in Part 3 (rows 2-4) must also sign at the end of Part 7 on the printed form. USCIS rejects I-912s where any 14+ requestor's signature is missing.

Date of signature.

Requestor's middle name (Part 1). Leave blank if no middle name.

First other-name family name (maiden, prior married name, alias, transliteration). Required when the requestor has been known by another name.

First other-name given name.

First other-name middle name.

Second other-name family name. Used when the requestor has had more than one prior name.

Second other-name given name.

Second other-name middle name.

USCIS online account number (12-digit), if the requestor has a myUSCIS account. Optional; helps USCIS link this filing to existing online records.

Free-text explanation when marital_status is 'Other' (e.g., civil union, registered domestic partnership). Required when marital_status is Other.

Family member row 2 (Part 3): full name of the second person being filed for under the same I-912. USCIS treats each row as a co-requestor; rejection of one row's evidence rejects the whole I-912.

Date of birth for family member row 2.

A-Number for family member row 2 (if any).

Relationship of row 2 family member to the requestor (e.g., spouse, child).

Form numbers row 2 is filing under this fee waiver (e.g., I-485, N-400). Each form must be one of the I-912-eligible forms; ineligible forms get the I-912 rejected.

Family member row 3: full name. Same coverage rules as row 2.

Family member row 3: date of birth.

Family member row 3: A-Number if any.

Family member row 3: relationship to requestor.

Family member row 3: forms covered by this fee waiver.

Family member row 4: full name.

Family member row 4: date of birth.

Family member row 4: A-Number if any.

Family member row 4: relationship to requestor.

Family member row 4: forms covered by this fee waiver.

Second means-tested benefit row (Part 4 Basis A): name of the recipient (the requestor or family member receiving the benefit). Used when more than one benefit is on record.

Second benefit row: relationship of the recipient to the requestor.

Second benefit row: type of benefit (e.g., SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, SSI). Must be a federal, state, or local means-tested benefit per the I-912 instructions.

Second benefit row: name of the agency that issued the benefit award letter.

Second benefit row: date the benefit was awarded. Award letter must be attached.

Second benefit row: date the benefit expires or renews. USCIS rejects expired-benefit evidence.

Free-text explanation when employment_status is 'Other'.

Date the requestor became unemployed. Required when employment_status is unemployed; helps USCIS evaluate the income-snapshot consistency.

Number of household members earning income, including the requestor. Used to interpret the household income figure against the 150% FPG threshold.

Name of the head of household when not the requestor. Optional; some adjudicators use this to match income evidence.

Free-text explanation of any change in income or household since the most recent tax return (Part 5). Required when anything_changed_since_taxes is true.

First asset row (Part 5): type of asset (cash, bank account, stocks, bonds). Do NOT list retirement accounts; USCIS excludes them under the I-912 instructions.

First asset row: value in USD.

Second asset row: type.

Second asset row: value in USD.

Third asset row: type.

Third asset row: value in USD.

Monthly expense category checkbox (Part 5): rent or mortgage. The requestor lists every applicable category and provides a household monthly total.

Monthly expense checkbox: food.

Monthly expense checkbox: utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet, phone).

Monthly expense checkbox: car payment.

Monthly expense checkbox: loans or credit cards (minimum monthly payments).

Monthly expense checkbox: child care or elder care.

Monthly expense checkbox: insurance (health, auto, renters, life).

Monthly expense checkbox: commuting (transit, gas).

Monthly expense checkbox: medical (out-of-pocket).

Monthly expense checkbox: school (tuition, books).

Monthly expense checkbox: other categories.

Free-text explanation of 'Other' expenses. Required when expense_other is true.

Language the interpreter used (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin). Required when language_path is interpreter.

Preparer's name as it should appear on Part 7's inline reference. Pulled from preparer info if collected; left blank when preparer_used is false.

Requestor's mobile phone (Part 6). Optional; provided so USCIS can call about RFEs.

Requestor's email (Part 6). Optional.

Wizard branch toggle (Part 1). True when the requestor is also asking the fee waiver to cover a family member filing on the same submission. Each family member 14 or older signs a separate I-912 (per the form instructions); the row 2-4 entries are how a single I-912 lists multiple covered filings on one form.

Wizard branch toggle. True when a third I-912 row is needed (e.g., parent + 2 children all filing N-400 / I-90 fee-waiver-eligible forms together).

Wizard branch toggle for the fourth I-912 row. The blank form has 4 rows printed; larger families use a separate I-912 for the 5th person and beyond.

Wizard branch toggle (Part 2 Basis A). True when the requestor or a household member receives a second qualifying means-tested benefit. Listing additional benefits is not required (one is enough to qualify) but strengthens the application; USCIS sometimes requests evidence on the lead benefit and a second listed benefit can serve as backup.

Part 5 item 2 yes/no. Required to answer when item 1 (employment status) is 'unemployed'. 'Yes' adds unemployment benefit amount to monthly income; 'No' is consistent with truly no income. Leaving both blank when unemployed reads as an incomplete declaration and risks RFE.