Payment Process Through iServices

The payment process for ISEO service fees and USCIS filing fees are submitted to ISEO through iServices as part the request process through a payment request eform. 

What this means for you

• Recharge payments are submitted directly within iServices as part of the request process
• Departments do not need to navigate to a separate payment system 
• Payment submission is integrated into the existing request workflow
• This process ensures clear payment responsibility, reduces back-and-forth, and integrates payment steps directly into the request workflow.

As part of the transition to iServices, departments will complete the J-1 ISEO Service Fee eForm as part of the required J-1 request submission.

Step 1: Confirm Previous Payment (if applicable)

• Indicate whether payment has already been submitted through ISEO’s previous system (STOVA)
  • If yes, enter the STOVA payment confirmation number
  • If no, you will be prompted to continue the steps listed below.
• This step helps prevent duplicate payments during the transition

Step 2: Select Payment Responsibility and Appropriate Fee

• Indicate whether the department or the scholar is responsible for the ISEO service fee
  • If the department is responsible:
    • Select the appropriate J-1 fee from the dropdown options
    • Enter the financial information (financial unit name, project number, and task number) directly in the eform
    • This authorizes ISEO to process the payment using departmental funds
    • Department Authorization Section - enter the date the eform is submitted. This is used for ISEO records to confirm when authorization was provided to process the recharge. This field is only required when recharge information is included.
    • The department will receive an email confirmation with the payment amount and financial details submitted.
      • Subject line of email "ISEO Services Fee Confirmation"

• • If the scholar is responsible:
    • Select the appropriate J-1 fee from the dropdown options
    • This notifies ISEO that the scholar will need complete the payment 

Step 3: Scholar Notification
Once the department submits the Payment eform, the scholar will receive an automatic email (subject line: ISEO Services Fee Confirmation) confirming whether the department or the scholar is responsible for payment. This provides clear, written confirmation of payment responsibility.

• If the scholar email indicates Department, this means the department will be responsible for the payment.
  • Scholar will select “My department” in the J-1 ISEO Services Fee – Scholar Payment eform.
• If the scholar email indicates Scholar, this means that the department indicated the Scholar is responsible for the fee.
  • Scholar will select “I will be responsible and have not yet paid the ISEO Services Fee" in the J-1 ISEO Services Fee – Scholar Payment eform to receive payment instructions.
• If the scholar email indicates %clientField002%, this means that the department indicated that the ISEO Services Fee was already paid through STOVA (ISEO's old payment system) by the department or scholar.
  • Scholar will select “ISEO Services Fee already paid via STOVA” in the J-1 ISEO Services Fee – Scholar Payment eform.

Step 4: Scholar Completes Payment 

• The scholar will have a separate Payment eform as part of the J-1 request process
• This eform will remain locked until the department completes their Payment eform
• Once unlocked, the scholar will:
  • Confirm the selected payment responsibility (department or scholar)
    • Scholar can reference the email notification to verify who is responsible

• • If the scholar is responsible for the fee:
    iServices will prompt the scholar to submit payment through UC San Diego’s eMarketPlace credit card system. The scholar will be guided with the following instructions:
    • Access ISEO’s Payment System (link provided in the iServices payment eform)
    • Select “J-1 Credit Card Payments”
    • Choose the correct payment (this will auto-populate based on the department’s selection)
    • Save the payment confirmation number
    • After completing payment, the scholar must return to the Payment eform in iServices and enter the payment confirmation number. 

As part of the transition to iServices, departments will complete two additional payment eforms as part of the required group of eforms for H-1B request submission.

Previous Payment (STOVA System)
To avoid duplicate payments during this transition, each Payment eform will ask whether payment has already been submitted through ISEO’s previous payment system (STOVA).

• If Yes, enter the STOVA payment confirmation number
• If No, department will be prompted to enter financial payment information in iServices

Department Payment eForms (H-1B Requests)
Departments will complete:

• ISEO Service Fee Payment eform
• USCIS Filing Fee Payment eform

Within each eform, the department will:

• Provide financial information (financial unit name, project number, and task number) directly in the eform
• Authorize ISEO to process payment using departmental funds for each fee type

What this means for you

• Payment steps will be fully integrated into the H-1B request process
• Departments will no longer need to submit payments through a separate system
• All payment authorizations will be captured directly within iServices

Payment eforms part of the H-1B request in iServices:

ISEO Services Fee payment options in "ISEO Services Fee" eform:

USCIS Fees payment options in "USCIS Processing Fee" eform:

Optional Premium Processing Request (Post-Submission of H-1B to USCIS Only)

As part of the H-1B Amendment/Extension eform group, an optional eform will be available only after the H-1B petition has been submitted to USCIS.

This eform is intended for H-1B extension, amendment, or other H-1B requests that have already been filed by ISEO without premium processing and are currently pending with USCIS. The eform will be visible to both the scholar and the department.

• If the petition has not yet been submitted to USCIS, please do not use this form and instead contact your ISEO scholar advisor.

Premium processing provides a 15-business-day adjudication timeline. If USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE), the 15-day clock will pause and resume once USCIS receives ISEO’s response.

Important Note About Who May Pay the Premium Processing Fee:

• Departments (NOT scholars) must pay the premium processing fee if faster adjudication is needed for employment-related reasons, including:
  • ensuring continued work authorization beyond the 240-day mark (extensions only)
  • renewing a driver’s license for work purposes
  • international work travel is necessary
  • any situation where a delay in approval would impact your ability to work for UC San Diego
• Scholars may pay the premium processing fee only when employment authorization is not at risk, such as:
  • personal (non-work-related) international travel
  • personal planning reasons unrelated to payroll or work eligibility
  • any situation in which UC San Diego employment is not impacted

For outsourced cases, a direct payment link will be sent to the department contact by ISEO. This link will allow them access to the Outsource iServices payment submission form.

For questions contact ifsooutsource@ucsd.edu.

For faculty labor certification cases, the Assistant Director Sandra Vargas Tinoco (svargastinoco@ucsd.edu) will provide instructions for submitting payment. 

What if I already paid in STOVA (ISEOs Previous System)? 
That’s okay. The department will have the option to indicate that payment was already submitted via STOVA in iServices. ISEO will review and confirm the payment using the confirmation number provided in the iServices payment eform.

What if the fees are being paid via department recharge? 
The department will indicate this in the iServices payment eform  for of the required eforms to submit the request to ISEO. The department will have the option to enter the appropriate recharge information. 

What if the scholar is responsible for the fee (J-1 requests)? 
The department can indicate that the scholar is responsible and the fee. iServices will then provide the scholar with instructions and a link to complete the credit card payment. 

For questions about which fees are required for your request, please contact an ISEO Scholar Advisor or iScholars@ucsd.edu. 

If updates are needed before the request is submitted to ISEO, you may cancel the eform and submit a new one with the correct information.

If updates are needed after submission to ISEO, please contact the ISEO Scholar Advisor assigned to the request for assistance.