Summary: Beginning March 6, 2023, USCIS will allow F-1 visa students who already have a pending Form I-765 to apply for OPT/ STEM OPT premium processing upgrade.

From April 3, 2023, F-1 students can file both paper and online Form I-765 and Form I-907 together to apply for premium processing.

If you clicked this article to learn more about the USCIS OPT, and STEM OPT premium processing, you would know already what the OPT and STEM OPT is.

You would also know that F-1 visa holders who want to apply for OPT or STEM OPT must submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization to USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services).

Although it has been observed that the turnaround time has been faster for online applicants compared to paper applications, USCIS is notorious for taking several months to adjudicate Form I-765 for OPT and STEM OPT applicants.

Given that international students must start working after they receive the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), several months of processing times made the hiring process of international students much more difficult and complicated to set employment start time.

Suppose you have the job offer and are ready to roll but can’t start working simply because you have not heard back from the USCIS!

What is more, STEM OPT applicants who failed to apply for OPT by the initial OPT end date have to stop working and wait for USCIS’s adjudication result on the STEM OPT application- how things could be different if only they have the option to apply for premium processing!

The good news is that USCIS is planning to implement premium processing for OPT and STEM OPT applicants from the year 2023.

USCIS premium processing guarantees 30 calendar days of turnaround time for eligible beneficiaries by charging $1,500. In other words, within a month (30 calendar days) OPT/STEM OPT applicants will be able to confirm if USCIS:

• issues an approval notice
• issues a denial notice
• issues a notice of intent to deny
• issues a request for evidence
• opens an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation

Therefore, if you are considering the premium processing option for your OPT or STEM OPT, it should be in your best interest to do some research to see if the OPT/ STEM OPT premium processing meets your needs.

As an Immigration Advisor with 5+ years of experience, I will share what are the factors to consider and who will benefit the most from the USCIS’s premium processing implementation for OPT and STEM OPT.

Online filing of Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, is now also available to F-1 students in these categories. USCIS continues to accept the latest paper version of this form by mail.

USCIS Announces Premium Processing; New Online-Filing Procedures for Certain F-1 Students Seeking OPT or STEM OPT Extensions

Contents

• Eligibility for OPT/ STEM OPT premium processing
• How to apply for OPT/ STEM OPT premium processing
• What to consider before you apply for OPT/ STEM OPT premium processing

Eligibility for OPT/STEM OPT premium processing

According to the USCIS Accnouncement on the premium processing expansion for F-1 students, there will be two phases of expansion in terms of OPT and STEM OPT:

• Beginning March 6, 2023: OPT and STEM OPT applicants who already submitted Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, AND the application status are pending.
• Beginning April 3, 2023: All OPT and STEM OPT applicants including students who have not submitted Form I-765 yet (F-1 students who plan to submit the initial Form I-765 application along with the premium processing application).

It is worth noting that only the following categories for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization filing are eligible for the premium processing:

• (c)(3)(A)- Pre-Completion OPT;
• (c)(3)(B)- Post-Completion OPT; and
• (c)(3)(C)- 24- Month Extension of OPT for STEM students

This means F-1 Students who apply for EAD based on other eligibilities including the Student Special Relief which category is (c)(3)(iii) are not eligible for the premium processing.

Related blog post: Special student relief benefits for international students

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. 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. We will announce specific dates for each group in February.

USCIS Announces Final Phase of Premium Processing Expansion for EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140 Petitions and Future Expansion for F-1 Students Seeking OPT and Certain Student and Exchange Visitors

Taking the above two phases into the consideration, it looks like the Class of 2023 international students will be the first group to be eligible for the premium processing expansion to OPT and STEM OPT. Thus, let’s look into the action plan for May 2023 graduates.

First of all, the earliest that May 2023 graduates can apply for OPT is February 2023 and they have several scenarios. If you are not familiar with the OPT application timeline, please read this article.

• February 2023: May 2023 graduates can apply for OPT as early as February without premium processing,
• Beginning March 6, 2023: May 2023 graduates can possibly apply for premium processing if they experience delays thus the application is pending
• Beginning April 3, 2023: May 2023 graduates can submit Form I-765 to apply for EAD and Form I-907 for premium processing together.

Related blog post: Best OPT start date: Remember the 90, 60, 30 rule

Students’ premium processing requests will be rejected who don’t follow the above timeline and file Form I-907.

USCIS will reject premium processing requests for a pending Form I-765 if received before March 6, and will reject any premium processing request for an initial or concurrently filed Form I-765 that is received before April 3. 

USCIS Announces Premium Processing; New Online-Filing Procedures for Certain F-1 Students Seeking OPT or STEM OPT Extensions

How to apply for OPT/STEM OPT premium processing

OPT/ STEM OPT applicants who would like to apply for OPT, STEM OPT premium processing need to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, and pay the filing fee. The filing fee for OPT and STEM OPT applicants is $1,500.

Here are a few things to remember when you file the OPT, STEM OPT premium processing application:

• Premium Processing filing fees must be paid separately. This means applicants should prepare two money orders/personal checks/cashier’s checks OR complete two Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions– one for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and the other for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service to pay by credit cards. If you don’t want to be bothered by separate payments, go with the online filing option!
• Check the Premium Processing application edition date. Just like the edition date for the paper OPT/ STEM OPT application is important, so is for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service. Always double-check the edition date on the USCIS webpage before you print out the paper application and complete it. If you want to minimize the risk of filing the wrong edition dated applications, go with the online filing option!
• Confirm the filing location. The paper Form I-907 should be sent to the Chicago lockbox. Click here to confirm the exact filing location. If you want to minimize the risk of submitting the application to the wrong filing location, go with the online filing option!

OPT/STEM OPT applicants who submitted the paper application can check the instruction by USCIS below to confirm the Form I-907 filing location:

If you previously filed a paper Form I-765 and you wish to file Form I-907 online to request premium processing, please reference the USCIS Account Access Notice you received for the Online Access Code and details on how to link your paper-filed cases to your online account. If you do not link your paper-filed Form I-765, you will not be able to file your Form I-907 online and will need file a paper Form I-907 with the Chicago lockbox.

I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service

Related blog post: Form I-765 new 07/26/2022 edition update

What to consider before you apply for OPT/STEM OPT premium processing

Is OPT, STEM OPT premium processing for you? The more yes you have for the following questions, it’s more highly likely the premium processing is for you!

• My employer is willing to pay the filing fee for my OPT/ STEM OPT application
• I failed to apply for STEM OPT by the initial OPT end date
• I have a job offer that I don’t want to miss but I haven’t heard back from USCIS regarding my OPT/STEM OPT applications
• I would like to hear back from USCIS within a certain period of time
• I applied for OPT pretty late and I don’t want to lose any days to participate in the OPT (total of 12 months)

Related blog post 1: How to complete online Form I-907 premium processing for OPT
Related blog post 2: What happens if I apply for OPT late? 5 big advantages

It’s great that USCIS is providing more filing options for international students. If you decide to go with the premium procession option, refer to the How to complete the online Form I-907 premium processing for OPT blog post.

Also, please do share your experience in the OPT/ STEM OPT Forum which would benefit other international students as well. Follow SEVIS SAVVY on social media (@sevissavvy) to not miss any OPT/STEM OPT-related updates!