The Govt of the US announces that it plans to accelerate the premium processing for certain Green Card applicants and other visa categories, including foreign student training. The expansion will be phased in starting with premium processing for EB-1 and EB-2 Green Card applications reported by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
As part of the expansion, previously filed Form I-140 petitions under an E13 multinational executive and manager classification will also be included, according to USCIS.
The expansion aims to improve efficiency and ease the strain on the legal immigration system.
US Premium Visa Processing
“Starting Jan. 30, we are expanding premium processing for all EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 petitions. In the coming months we will expand to F-1 students filing Form I-765 and J-1 exchange visitors filing Form I-539,” said USCIS in a social media post.
Starting Jan. 30, we are expanding premium processing for all EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 petitions. In the coming months we will expand to F-1 students filing Form I-765 and J-1 exchange visitors filing Form I-539.https://t.co/zgWfllH2yN
— USCIS (@USCIS) January 12, 2023
Petitioners requesting premium processing must file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. Beginning Jan. 30, 2023, the USICS will accept Form I-907 requests for:
- All pending E13 multinational executive and manager petitions and E21 NIW petitions; and
- All initial E13 multinational executive and manager petitions and E21 NIW petitions.
“In March, we will expand premium processing to certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students seeking STEM OPT extensions who have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization,” USCIS said.
“In April, we will expand premium processing to F-1 students seeking OPT and F-1 students seeking STEM OPT extensions who are filing an initial Form I-765,” it added.
This change is in response to the recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The commission had suggested that premium processing should be expanded beyond just Form I-129 and certain Form I-140 petitioners.
They recommended that premium processing should be expanded to include more employment-based green card applications, all work permit petitions and temporary immigration status extension requests, with a fee of $2,500 for expedited processing, to be rolled out in phases.
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