News Release from Jewell & Associates, PC As of May 26, 2015 USCIS has temporarily suspended premium processing for all H-1B petitions where a request for extension of stay is requested. This is to allow USCIS to implement the Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Spouses final rule, and to adjudicate the first applications under that rule, in a timely manner. Premium processing for H-1B extension of stay petitions is scheduled to resume on July 27, 2015.
Premium processing remains available for certain H-1B petitions, including:
- Petitions subject to the H-1B cap, and cap-exempt petitions, as long as the petition requests a change of nonimmigrant status, or consular notification.
- Petitions filed on behalf of individuals who already have H-1B status, as long as the petition requests consular notification, or an amendment of a previously approved petition that does not include a request for an extension of stay.
- All H-1B1 petitions.
USCIS will continue to premium process H-1B extension of stay petitions filed prior to May 26, 2015.
The full text of USCIS’s announcement is available here.
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