USCIS has announced new plans to increase efficiency in the legal immigration system, including new agency-wide backlog reduction goals, the planned expansion of premium processing service, and actions to improve timely access to employment authorization documents (EADs).
Read MoreUSCIS Expands Premium Processing Service to E-3 Filings
USCIS announced today, February 24, 2021, that the agency has extended Premium Processing service to the E-3 visa classification.
Beginning immediately, petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting a change or extension of status to E-3 classification (reserved for nationals of Australia coming to the United States to perform services in a "specialty occupation.") will have the option to request Premium Processing service for their petition.
USCIS' Premium Processing service, which was previously unavailable for E-3 filings, allows petitioners to pay an additional filing fee of $2,500 to expedite the adjudication of the case to 15 calendar days, a significant improvement over the current adjudication time frame of 6 to 7.5 months.
USCIS Announces Premium Processing Will Resume in a Phased Approach in June
Today, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that, starting next week, it will resume premium processing service for certain nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions. The schedule for resumption of premium processing service, which is subject to change, is as follows:
June 1, 2020 - Premium processing to resume for all pending and newly filed I-140 petitions
June 8, 2020 - Premium processing to resume for:
Pending cap-exempt H-1B petitions filed before June 8, 2020 (including cap-exempt petitioners and petitions for beneficiaries already counted against the H-1B cap including pending extensions and change of employer requests).
All other pending I-129 petitions for nonimmigrant classification that are eligible for premium processing (e.g., L-1, O-1, E-2, TN).
June 15, 2020 - Premium processing to resume for:
Newly filed H-1B cap-exempt petitions, which can be filed with a concurrent request for premium processing where cap-exemption is based on either:
The Petitioner being a cap-exempt institution; OR
The beneficiary being cap-exempt based on a Conrad/IGA waiver under section 214(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
June 22, 2020 - Premium processing to resume for all other Form I-129 petitions, including:
All FY2021 cap-subject petitions (including upgrades for pending cases and concurrent premium processing request for newly submitted petitions)
All other newly filed I-129 petitions for nonimmigrant classification that are eligible for premium processing (e.g., L-1, O-1, E-2, TN and remaining H-1B petitions).
As noted above, USCIS has stated that all dates are subject to change.
D&S will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
USCIS Announces Temporary Suspension of Premium Processing for FY2021 H-1B Cap Petitions
Today the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that premium processing service for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 H-1B cap petitions would be temporarily suspended. As with past years, USCIS will resume premium processing in two phases. USCIS will initially resume premium processing for FY2021 cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting a change of status from F-1 nonimmigrant status no later than May 27, 2020, and will notify the public before premium processing resumes for these petitions. The earliest date that USCIS will resume premium processing for all other FY2021 cap-subject H-1B petitions is June 29, 2020. At this time, USCIS has confirmed that premium processing remains available for all other cap-exempt H-1B petitions, such as extension of stay requests.
D&S will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
USCIS Releases Guidance on Premium Processing for FY2020 H-1B Cap Petitions
Today USCIS officially announced that Premium Processing will be available for this year’s H-1B cap petitions. However, USCIS will be implementing premium processing in a two-phased approach, depending on whether the petition is being filed with a request for Change of Status or whether the petition is being filed for Consular Notification.
Read MoreUSCIS to Resume Premium Processing for all H-1B Petitions Effective March 12, 2019
Today USCIS announced that effective Tuesday, March 12, 2019, Premium Processing Service will resume for all H-1B petitions. Premium processing service was previously suspended by USCIS back in March of 2018 for all FY2019 cap cases and in August 2018, it expanded and extended the suspension or more types of H-1B petitions. Since then, the Service has been incrementally restoring premium processing Service with the full restoration beginning March 12, 2019.
Read MoreUSCIS To Resume Premium Processing Service for H-1B Petitions Filed on or before 12/21/2018
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it will resume premium processing service on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 for all H-1B petitions filed on or before December 21, 2018.
As a reminder, USCIS previously announced that premium processing would resume for FY2019 cap-subject petitions beginning on January 28, 2019. Today’s announcement further expands the use of premium processing service to all other H-1B petition types filed on or before December 21, 2018.
USCIS notes that the premium processing requests must be sent to the service center currently handling the pending H-1B petition. It also states that the petitioners who have received requests for evidence (RFEs) should include the RFE response with their premium processing upgrade requests.
The announcement confirms that the previously-implemented suspension of premium processing service will remain in effect for H-1B petitions that were filed on or after December 22, 2018 until agency workloads permit premium processing service to resume for these cases.
D&S will continue to monitor the H-1B premium processing suspension and provide updates as they become available.
USCIS To Resume Premium Processing Service for FY2019 H-1B Cap Cases on 1/28/2019
Today, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that it will resume premium processing service on Monday, January 28, 2019, for still-pending FY2019 H-1B cap petitions. USCIS’s announcement notes that petitioners who have received requests for evidence (RFEs) for pending FY2019 cap petitions should include their RFE response with their premium processing upgrade requests.
The announcement further states that the previously implement suspension of premium processing service will remain in effect for remaining categories of H-1B petitions until agency workloads permit premium processing service to resume.
D&S will continue to monitor the H-1B premium processing suspension and provide updates as they become available.
USCIS To Increase Premium Processing Fee Starting September 30, 2018
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Final Rule today that increases the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Premium Processing fee from $1,225 to $1,410, which becomes effective September 30, 2018.
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