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Missed the USCIS Paper Check Deadline? How Law Firms Can Catch Up

As of October 28, 2025, USCIS (U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services) no longer accepts paper checks or money orders. For immigration law firms, immigration lawyers, and their clients, this means all processing fees, filing fees, asylum fees, visa fees, biometric services fees, etc. must now be made electronically. If you, your clients, or your law firm are scrambling to properly manage the electronic processing of fees — and everything that comes along with it — don’t worry. Regardless of your current methods and processes, 91����� can help.����

But first: Why did the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services undergo such a radical change to begin with?

USCIS Paper Check Deadline Background: Two Executive Orders

On March 25, 2025, President Trump signed two Executive Orders (EOs): EO 14247, “Modernizing Payments to and From America’s Bank Account,” and EO 14249, “Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.” Intended to bring the U.S. government’s payment and banking practices and infrastructure into the 21st century, these EOs mandated significant changes. Here’s a bit more about what each executive order specifies.

What is EO 14247?

EO 14247 directs the Treasury to modernize the federal payments and disbursement system via the following:

• A transition to fully electronic federal payments and collections, i.e. no more paper checks or money orders by September 30, 2025

• A reduced and waning reliance on paper processes throughout all federal agencies

• Phasing out physical lockbox services—instead, federal agencies are transitioning to digital collection services

• All federal agencies are to transition to electronic funds transfers (EFT)

• Vendors and other recipients of agency payments should be enrolled in digital payment methods

• A public outreach campaign to ensure federal payment recipients know about the change to electronic payments

• No more paper receipts

What is EO 14249?

EO 14249 aims to protect against fraud, waste, and abuse by mandating:

• Payment verification—all federal payments must be subjected to pre-certification verification processes

• Compliance with anti-fraud tools like and

• Coordination with NTDOs (Non-Treasury Disbursing Offices) to move their disbursing authority to the U.S. Treasury (where allowed by law)

• An end to internal federal agency payment systems

• Reduced data access barriers

• Authorization of Computer Matching Agreement (CMA) waivers to help prevent fraud and to support each agency’s compliance

• Core financial management (FM) system consolidation to Treasury-approved solutions and providers

How EO 14247 and EO 14249 Are Affecting USCIS

On August 29, 2025, in order to comply with the two EOs discussed above, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued . This policy alert announced a significant shift in the payment of filing fees for immigration and citizenship services. Ending their long-term acceptance of paper checks and money orders, as of October 28, 2025, USCIS only accepts fees paid electronically by credit or debit card or ACH (Automated Clearing House) debit. Applicants and immigration attorneys must use either Form G-1450 for debit or credit card, or the new Form G-1650 for ACH debit.

USCIS will only accept U.S.-based banks and card issuers for fees. For immigration firms representing clients filing dozens or even hundreds of applications, petitions, and/or requests each week, the documentation and reporting alone could easily become overwhelming.��

Why Traditional Methods Will Fail

With the USCIS paper check deadline in the rearview mirror, sticking to more traditional methods of payment, receipting, and reconciliation no longer makes sense. The USCIS shift is more than just a lateral move to get rid of paper pushing; it’s a transformational change that creates operational challenges in everything from payment processing and fee tracking to reconciliation and data security.��

While some immigration attorneys and immigration law practices might try and manage the changes at USCIS with a single business credit card, one-off ACH payments, and manual methods of recordkeeping and receipting, the result will almost certainly be confusing and unsatisfactory. Here are some of the reasons why:��

• Applications without proper payments and payment types can get delayed

• Rejected applications require starting over

• Tracking paid fees and accompanying documents will require extra administrative work

• Traditional methods will mean no real-time visibility into applications, petitions, and requests

• Multiple fees and applicants/petitioners/requesters on one card complicate reconciliation

For those immigration attorneys and law firms seeking to meet client needs more efficiently, while also enjoying the competitive edge that streamlined electronic payment solutions tend to generate, there’s another way.��

How 91�����’s USCIS Navigator + One-Time Virtual Cards Can Help

91�����’s USCIS Navigator program, plus our single-use virtual cards can help simplify USCIS payments, but that’s just the beginning. With USCIS Navigator, you can:

• Assign a unique virtual card for each application or petition

• Automatically generate G-1450 forms

• Track each payment in real time

• Simplify reconciliation and reduce administrative workload

• Earn rebates and optimize cash flow

Benefits of the program include:

• Saved time with automated payments

• Reduced errors and rework

• Accurate application fee and petition fee tracking

• Full visibility and transparency to give your team—and your clients—peace of mind

Breaking it down: What USCIS Navigator looks like in action

Adjusting to changes at the USCIS is essential for immigration attorneys and firms, but the opportunity to improve your own accounting and payables processes should not be seen as secondary. Here’s how the USCIS Navigator program performs in real-life:

• One card per filing. With USCIS Navigator, you can generate a unique virtual card for each USCIS fee payment or matter—there’s never any need to share a firm card or to manage multiple ACH transactions.

• Tighter controls. Cut down on mistakes. You can set the exact dollar amount and expiration date for each virtual card, eliminating overspend and/or accidental reuse or misuse.

• Speedier reconciliation. With 91�����’s virtual cards, each card number gets automatically linked to a client or case, making it fast and straightforward when you need to match payments and attach receipts.

• Enhanced security. Because you set the limits and parameters for each virtual card, fraud and misuse risk drops dramatically compared to checks or shared physical cards.

• Squeaky clean audit trail. With a virtual card that’s tied to a client, each transaction is always linked correctly for straightforward client billing and compliance.

Even better? We’re already helping immigrant firms like yours navigate this transition. We’re keeping them compliant, improving AP efficiency, and reducing risk.��

It doesn’t matter that you’ve missed the USCIS deadline. Your immigration law firm can catch up and streamline payments with USCIS Navigator.

91�����® Mastercard® is issued by Fifth Third Bank N.A. or another financial institution, pursuant to a license by Mastercard® International Incorporated. Mastercard® and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard® International Incorporated.

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