It is commonly known that USCIS immigration applications processing times can take up several months or even surpass a year. However, some matters require a quicker response. US employers or foreign workers frequently ask us about the possibility of accelerating an immigration application to have the foreign worker work for the US employer much sooner. The solution to this may be applying for USCIS premium processing through Form I-907.

Premium processing is available for specific types of employment-based immigration petitions, such as Form I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker) and Form I-140 (Immigration Petition for Alien Worker. Specifically, premium processing is available for individuals requesting the following statuses: E-2, E-1, H-1B, H-4, TN1, TN2, R-1, EB-1, EB-2, F-1, and many others.

There is additional fee associated with premium processing. This fee is in addition to the standard filing fee for the underlying immigration application. Specifically, the fee may range from $1500 USD to $2500 USD depending on what status the Employer is seeking for the foreign worker. For example, an R-1 petition requires a $1500 USD payment, and an E-2 or TN petition requires a $2500 UD payment.

By filing this form and making the additional payment, USCIS commits to processing premium processing cases within a 15-calendar-day period. At the end of the 15-day period, USCIS will issue an approval notice, a denial notice, or a request for evidence letter. This option does not affect USCIS’ review of the merits of the case.

Lastly, as a reminder, this option is only available to USCIS applications. The premium processing service is not an option for consular or embassy interviews. We will go over options to accelerate interviews in another blog.

If you would like to learn more about premium processing or any immigration employment-based application, call us at (915) 314-2363 to schedule a consultation today!