USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Extension-of-Stay H-1B Petitions
As of July 13, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed accepting Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for all H-1B extension-of-stay petitions (Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker).
Premium processing service had been suspended previously for I-129 H-1B extension-of-stay petitions starting May 26, 2015, to July 27, 2015. USCIS said the temporary suspension allowed the agency to implement the final rule on employment authorization for certain H-4 dependent spouses in a timely manner and begin adjudicating applications for employment authorization filed by H-4 nonimmigrants under the new rule. Premium processing remained available for all other types of I-129 H-1B petitions during the temporary suspension.
USCIS said it closely monitored its workloads and determined that the agency could resume premium processing service for H-1B extension-of-stay petitions as of July 13, 2015. In response to a query, USCIS’s Service Center Operations Directorate responded, “We now will accept an I-907 on any H-1B [extension of stay]. If an I-907 was filed/received prior to 07/13/15 it will be rejected.”
As a reminder, USCIS also noted that it will accept only the new version (edition date: 01/29/2015) of the I-907. The edition date is printed on the bottom left corner of every page of the form and instructions.
See Also:
- The new USCIS announcement
- The new version of the I-907.
- The final rule discussed above
- The previous announcement about the initial “freeze” on premium processing for these petitions
