Summary: USCIS announced that H1B premium processing fee will increase from today (10/19/2020): Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing will increase from $1,440.99 to $2,500.00, for all filings except H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant petitioners. The premium processing fee for petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker requesting H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status is increasing from $1,440.00 to $1,500.00.
There are fees and forms updates for I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (which is the form that H-1B, O visa holders complete), I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers (EB visas), and I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. You will get to know what is H1B premium processing, how much the fee will increase and which edition date of the form you should complete.
Contents
- What is H1B premium processing service?
- USCIS premium processing fee increase
- Premium processing form update
What is H1B premium processing service?
USCIS explains that “The USCIS premium processing service allows petitioners to pay an additional filing fee to expedite the adjudication of certain forms, generally within 15 days.” The service is available for Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. International graduates usually apply for the H-1B petition to work legally in the United States and they will be impacted by this fee change.
Details regarding how to request premium processing is outlined on the How Do I Request Premium Processing? webpage by USCIS.
| Designated Classification Within Form I-129 | Corresponding Nonimmigrant Classification |
|---|---|
| Alien in specialty occupation | H-1B |
| Temporary worker performing nonagricultural services | H-2B |
| Alien of extraordinary ability or achievements in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics | O-1 |
| Alien providing essential support services for a principal O-1 alien | O-2 |
| Alien in a religious occupation | R-1 |
| Designated Classification Within Form I-140 | Corresponding Employment-Based (EB) Immigrant Visa Classification |
|---|---|
| Aliens of extraordinary ability / Outstanding professors and researchers / Multinational executives and managers | EB-1 |
| Members of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability not seeking a National Interest Waiver | EB-2 |
| Skilled workers / Professionals | EB-3 |
USCIS premium processing fee increase
Effective October 19, the premium processing fee for the Form I-907 except H-2B and R-1 category will increase 73% from $1400.99 to $2,500. On the other hand, the premium processing fee for filing Form I-129 to request H-2B or R-1 status will increase by 4% from $1,400.00 to $1,500.00. Therefore, from today (10/19), if you would like to file the premium processing, you should file with the new filing fees.
- Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing will increase from $1,440.99 to $2,500.00, for all filings except H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant petitioners.
- The premium processing fee for petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker requesting H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status is increasing from $1,440.00 to $1,500.00.
Any Form I-907 postmarked on or after Oct. 19 must include the new fee amount. If USCIS receives a Form I-907 postmarked on or after Oct. 19 with the incorrect filing fee, we will reject the Form I-907 and return the filing fee. For filings sent by commercial courier (such as UPS, FedEx and DHL), the postmark date is the date reflected on the courier receipt.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Premium processing form update
Along with the fee increase, USCIS updated its forms. Although most of the forms will accept the previous versions, it is always good practice to check out the USCIS webpage to double-check the most recent edition date. The edition date can be found at the bottom of the page on the left.
- I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
- Edition Date: 09/30/20. But USCIS will also accept the 01/27/20 edition.
- I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
- Edition Date: 09/30/20. But USCIS will also accept the 05/09/18 edition.
- I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service
- Edition Date: 09/30/20. Starting on Dec. 16, 2020, USCIS will only accept the 09/30/20 edition. Until then, petitioners can use the 12/02/19 edition with the new filing fees.
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