On March 20, 2018, USCIS announced that starting April 2, 2018, it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B cap-subject petitions. This suspension may last until at least September 10, 2018. The temporary suspension applies only to FY19 cap-subject H-1B petitions (i.e., petitions submitted in the annual lottery). Non-cap-subject H filings, such as for extensions and change-of-employers, will be able to use premium processing. While premium processing is suspended, petitioners may submit a request to expedite an H-1B cap-subject petition if they meet certain criteria. USCIS indicated that it needs the suspension to focus on reducing backlogs and processing times.
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