SEVIS Number: What It Is and How to Find Yours

If you’re applying for a U.S. student or exchange visa, your SEVIS number is one of the first identifiers you’ll be asked for, and getting it wrong can stall your entire application. The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) tracks more than 1.5 million international students and exchange visitors at any given time, and your number is how the government connects you to that record.

This guide covers what the number is, the format to look for, where it appears on your documents, how to get one, and how to use it when you pay the I-901 fee, sit for your visa interview, and maintain your status.

What is a SEVIS number?

A SEVIS number is the unique identifier the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assigns to your record when your school or program sponsor enters you into SEVIS. Some people call it a SEVIS ID number, but the SEVIS number meaning is the same either way: one code that stays with you for the life of that record, linking your details, program, and visa status. It’s the reference U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses to monitor your stay, and it follows you through the entire visa application process.

What the format looks like

You can recognize your number once you know the pattern. What does a SEVIS number look like? It always starts with a capital N followed by 10 digits, 11 characters total (for example, N0012345678). Once you know the SEVIS number format N followed by 10 digits, spotting yours is easy. There are no spaces, dashes, or other letters, so if what you’re looking at doesn’t match, it isn’t your number.

Where to find your SEVIS number

Your certificate of eligibility carries the number, and so does the fee payment portal. If you’re not sure where to find SEVIS number details, check three places:

Your SEVIS number on I-20 (F-1 and M-1 students): top right of the first page, under the words “Student’s Copy” and above the barcode.
Your SEVIS number on DS-2019 (J-1 exchange visitors): top right of the page, in the box above the barcode.
In the payment portal:fmjfee.com displays and confirms the number tied to your record when you pay the fee.

Why your number matters

Your number does more than identify you on paper. It ties your record to your visa and immigration status, which is why consular officers, port-of-entry officials, and your school all reference it. As a nonimmigrant student, you carry this identifier at every step.

An active SEVIS record means you’re in active status and maintaining your stay legally; a terminated record means you’ve lost it, which can affect your ability to remain or re-enter the country. Your DSO (designated school official) or RO (responsible officer) updates the record, so report any error to them rather than fixing it yourself. If your record is terminated, you may need to apply for reinstatement.

How to get a SEVIS number

You don’t apply for one directly. Your DSO or RO creates your record after you’re admitted, and the system generates the number automatically before it appears on your I-20 or DS-2019. If you apply to several schools, each may issue its own document with a different number, but you only activate the record for the school you actually attend. Regardless of your education level, the record is created the same way.

Paying the SEVIS fee with Form I-901

Before your visa interview, you must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee that funds the system maintaining your record. How much the SEVIS I-901 fee costs depends on your category: as of 2026 it’s $350 for F-1 and M-1 students and $220 for most J-1 exchange visitors, though some J-1 categories (au pairs, camp counselors, summer work travel) pay $35.

Not everyone pays. F-2, M-2, and J-2 dependents are exempt, as are J-1 visitors in federally sponsored programs with codes starting G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7. If you’re continuing on the same record after a transfer or a trip abroad shorter than five months, you keep your number and don’t pay again.

Complete your I-901 SEVIS fee payment at fmjfee.com, the only official site, by credit or debit card for instant confirmation. Applicants who are citizens of or born in Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, or Gambia must use Western Union Quick Pay, money order, or a certified U.S. bank check. Print the confirmation for your interview, and see the official I-901 fee FAQ for the full exemption list.

How to use your number

Once you have it, enter it on your DS-160 (or DS-7002 for J-1 trainees and interns) when you complete the online visa application. Present it with your I-20 or DS-2019 and fee receipt at your consular interview, and reference it whenever you contact the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) Response Center to check your SEVIS status.

SEVIS number vs. other numbers on your documents

Your paperwork carries several numbers, and mixing them up is a common cause of application errors. There’s no real SEVIS number vs SEVIS ID distinction to worry about, since those two terms mean the same thing, but the numbers below are genuinely different. Use this reference to keep them straight:

NumberWhat it isWhere it appearsSEVIS numberYour unique N-prefixed ID in the tracking systemTop right of the I-20 form or DS-2019Visa numberThe red number on your physical visa foilBottom right of the visa stampProgram numberIdentifies your school’s or sponsor’s program (e.g., P-1-00000)I-20 or DS-2019Student IDYour internal ID at your schoolSchool records, not immigration forms

F-1, J-1, and M-1 visas: how SEVIS applies to each

Which rules apply depends on your visa category, though the SEVIS number F-1 students receive works the same for M-1 and J-1 holders. J-1 visa holders use Form DS-2019, while students on F and M visas use the I-20 form; your education level and program appear alongside the number in each case. The $350 I-901 fee applies to F and M visas alike, and only J-1 categories vary. The table below shows how the three compare:

VisaWho it’s forDocumentTypical I-901 feeF-1Academic studentsForm I-20$350M-1Vocational studentsForm I-20$350J-1Exchange visitorsForm DS-2019$220 (some categories $35)

How to check your SEVIS status online

You can confirm the basics two ways. Log in to the payment portal to review your I-901 payment history and reprint your receipt. To confirm whether the record itself is active or terminated, ask your DSO or RO, who can see your live record and your active status; F-1 students on OPT (Optional Practical Training) can also view limited details through the SEVP Portal. There’s no public SEVIS number lookup tool, so your school remains the fastest way to check.

The bottom line

Your SEVIS number is small, but it carries your entire student or exchange record, so treat it with the same care as your passport. Find it on your I-20 or DS-2019, keep it consistent across every form and payment, and check with your school whenever your active status looks off. If your path later leads to a work visa, Lighthouse can prepare that application in under three weeks with attorney review included.

A number tracks your stay, we plan what's next, with Lighthouse

Your SEVIS number keeps one thing straight: the record that tracks you as a student or exchange visitor. The bigger question sits past graduation, when your path turns toward work and you need the right visa lined up before your status runs out.

That is where Lighthouse comes in. When your next step is a work visa, we prepare the application, an H-1B or O-1, with attorney review included on every case, often in under three weeks rather than the months a traditional firm takes. You get a free eligibility evaluation before you start, and if USCIS issues a request for evidence, we respond at no additional charge.

Skip the guesswork about what comes after study. Get started with Lighthouse and line up your work visa before your record closes.

Frequently asked questions on SEVIS numbers

What is your SEVIS number?

The unique N-prefixed identifier the government assigns to your student or exchange visitor record and uses to track your status in the U.S.

How do you get your SEVIS ID?

You don’t request it yourself; your DSO or RO creates your record after admission, and SEVIS generates the ID, which then appears on your I-20 or DS-2019.

How do I check my SEVIS?

Log in to the payment portal for your payment history, and ask your DSO or RO to confirm your SEVIS status and whether your record is active or terminated.

Is the SEVIS ID in the I-20?

Yes, at the top right of the first page above the barcode; on the DS-2019 it’s in the box at the top right.

Will the Department of Homeland Security keep a record of my payment on file?

Yes, your I-901 payment is recorded in SEVIS, and you can reprint the confirmation anytime in the portal, so keep a copy for your interview and travel.

I paid the SEVIS fee for one school but want to attend a different one. Is my fee transferable?

Often yes: if both records share the same SEVIS ID the payment carries over, and if the second school issued a new ID you can email SEVP to request a transfer at least two weeks before your interview.

What if my F-1 visa application is denied?

You can reapply for the same visa type within 12 months of your original payment date without paying the I-901 fee again.