Premium Processing Service Suspended Through July
Effective July 2, 2007, USCIS has temporarily suspended premium processing service for the Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140). USCIS said (PDF) it anticipates a substantial increase in the number of petitioning employers that will file such petitions because of “pent up demand for preference visa categories.” The volume of I-140 petitions filed that request premium processing service is expected to exceed USCIS’s capacity to provide the service, which guarantees that within 15 calendar days of receipt of a petition, USCIS will issue an approval notice, a notice of intent to deny, or a request for evidence, or will open an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation.
The suspension of premium processing service will last for at least 30 days, beginning on July 2, 2007, and ending on August 1, 2007. During this period, USCIS will determine whether it is able to process these cases within 15 calendar days of receipt. If so, premium processing service once again will be made available for I-140 petitions.
USCIS also announced that it is extending a suspension of premium processing service for religious workers (R-1) for another 6 months, with an expiration date of December 18, 2007.
