What is Form I-912?

Form I-912 is the request asking USCIS to waive the fee of another form. It requests no immigration benefit: it only asks not to pay for a filing you are already making.

USCIS accepts the waiver only for certain forms, and its page says there are fees it cannot waive by law. The list is in the official source linked below.

Form I-912 is not sent on its own or afterwards. The official page says it goes in the same packet as the form whose fee you want waived, with the evidence attached, and that it is not accepted once USCIS has already received the other one.

That is why it helps to have the main form ready first, and to assemble the packet with the I-912 on top.

According to the instructions, the waiver can be requested on one of three bases: receiving a means-tested public benefit, having household income below a certain level of the federal table, or going through a financial hardship that can be documented.

Which basis fits your case, and whether the evidence is enough, is decided by the reviewing officer. We do not decide whether the waiver applies to you; a licensed attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative can guide you.

It depends on the basis: the public-benefit letter with your name, the tax return or proof of income for the whole household, or the evidence of the hardship (medical bills, unemployment letters, unexpected expenses).

The general list and the official sources live on the form's page; we do not repeat them here.

We ask about your household, your income and the basis you choose, one thing at a time, and transfer the answers onto the official form with technical checks.

You receive an unsigned PDF. You review it, sign it by hand, place it on top of the main form with the evidence, and mail the packet without the fee to the address in that form's instructions.

Sending the I-912 without evidence of the basis. Listing one person's income when the household has several. Forgetting that each person requesting the waiver signs. Sending the fee and the I-912 together, “just in case”.

And requesting it for a fee the official page says cannot be waived. That packet comes back whole.

If USCIS accepts the waiver, the filing proceeds like any other and the receipt notice arrives. If it does not, USCIS returns the whole packet and it can be sent again with the fee.

In the guide on what happens after you mail your form we explain that notice, where the number is, and how to check your case.

We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. We fill the form in with your answers and check the formatting; we do not assess your income and we do not promise the waiver will be accepted.