USCIS has announced expedited premium processing on certain visa categories. The visa classes included for the process expedition are green cards and various other visas relevant to international students. The main aim is to reduce the overall burden of immigration services.
In 2022, Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) made some recommendations for immigration expedition to the Biden government. Ajay Jain Bhutoria, one of the commission’s Indian American members, had been instrumental in making these recommendations.
The premium processing of applications within 45 days at a fee of USD 2,500 was recommended. USCIS has seemingly incorporated the same. The expansion of services shall be implemented in subsequent phases, starting from August 2022.
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EB-1 and EB-2 applications for green cards shall be picked up first in 2023 for premium processing.
Other classes included in the first phase are Form I-140 petitions under E13 or E21 classification. E13 classification refers to multinational executives and managers, and the E21 classification is for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptionally able applicants, who wish for a National Interest Waiver (NIW).
The previously filed applications shall be taken up first.
The very first visa class to benefit became Form I-140 and immigrant petition for alien workers. Other recommended visa classes included EB-1 Multinational Executive or Manager, EB-2 National Interest Waiver, I-539, Extension or change of Non-immigrant status, and Employment Authorisation.
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International F1 applications for visa extensions for OPT and STEM OPT shall be taken up from March 2023. In April, students filing the extensions with an initial Form I-765 shall also be included in the premium processing.
Additional employment-based green card applications, work permit applications, and temporary immigration extension requests have also been recommended for expedited processing.
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Source: The Hindu
