Premium Processing Fact Sheet

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has an option to process certain work-based petitions faster. It is called Premium Processing Service.

 

So how does premium processing work? For an additional $2,500 fee ($1500 for H-2B and R-1) to USCIS, USCIS promises a response to the case within 15 calendar days of filing (versus several months in many cases). Additionally, if there is a request from USCIS for more information, the request is made and responded to by e-mail or fax, so that process should be much quicker as well.

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One has the ability to file a new case with a request for Premium Processing, but one can also submit a request (and the fee) to transfer a case from the regular queue to the Premium Processing queue. If the latter option is chosen, a response is promised within 15 days from the receipt of the transfer request.

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Premium Processing is available for petitions in the following nonimmigrant work-based visa categories:

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• E-1 Treaty Trader;

• E-2 Treaty Investor;

• E-3 Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia;

• H-1B Temporary Workers in Specialty Occupations;

• H-2A Agricultural Worker;

• H-3 Trainee;

• L-1 Intra-company Transferees;

• O-1 and O-2 Aliens of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement;

• P-1, P-2 and P-3 Athletes and Entertainers;

• Q-1 International Cultural Exchange Aliens;

• R-1 Temporary Workers in Religious Occupations;

• TN NAFTA Professionals; 

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Premium Processing is also now available for I-140 Immigrant Worker Petitions based on a Certified Labor Certification.

 

The Premium Processing fee must be paid with a separate check or money order; it cannot be combined with the regular petition fee. Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service) can be downloaded from the USCIS Downloadable Forms Page. 

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Check out our Premium Processing News Flash page for more of the latest info on the Premium Processing Service from USCIS.

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Do you want to utilize the USCIS Premium Processing Service for H-1B petitions or other work-related petitions? Contact us here at Savitz Law today! We can help you file or upgrade your case.

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