The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has declared an exemption from the biometric services fee for Form I-539, the Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.

Starting from October 1st, the $85 biometric services fee will not be required as part of the Form I-539 application process. You won’t have to make this payment if your application is postmarked on or after October 1st. Nevertheless, for those who submit Form I-539 before October 1st, specific applicants will still be scheduled for an ASC appointment and should attend as originally scheduled. In most instances, starting October 1st, applicants will generally not be scheduled for a biometric services appointment. However, if USCIS determines that biometrics are necessary, applicants will be notified with instructions on attending their biometric services appointment.

If, by mistake, you submit the biometric services fee separately from the Form I-539 fee, they will return the biometric services fee and process the Form I-539. However, if you inadvertently submit the biometric services fee combined with a paper-based Form I-539 filing fee, this will be considered an incorrect submission, and the Form I-539 will be rejected. In the event of mistakenly authorizing a credit card payment that combines the biometric services fee with the Form I-539 application fee, they will accept the application and only charge the application fee.

The exemption from the biometric services fee will be applicable to all applicants filing on or after October 1st, including those filing Form I-539 to request an extension of stay or a change of status to H-4, L-2, or E nonimmigrant, for whom USCIS had previously suspended the biometrics requirement until September 30, 2023.

Source: USCIS