USCIS Announces Further Expansion of Premium Processing
        	
            	By Michael H. Markovitch, Esq. on January, 19, 2023
 
        
             
               
        
	U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that it would launch
	another phase of its premium expedited processing expansion for Form I-140 petitions under the
	EB-1 and EB-2 classifications.
	USCIS will accept premium processing requests for:
	o All pending E13 multinational executive and manager petitions and E21 NIW
	petitions.
	o All initial E13 multinational executive and manager petitions and E21 NIW
	petitions.
	Additional Information: USCIS is taking a phased approach to expanding premium
	processing as part of a broader effort to reduce backlogs and provide relief to foreign nationals
	affected by processing delays.
	USCIS said it would further expand premium processing in March of 2023 to certain F-1
	students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students seeking STEM OPT
	extensions who have pending Forms I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. The
	agency plans to extend premium processing in April of 2023 to OPT and F-1 students seeking
	STEM OPT extensions filing initial Forms I-765.
	USCIS also said it is working toward expanding premium processing in May to certain
	student and exchange visitors with pending Forms I-539, Application to Extend/Change
	Nonimmigrant Status and in June to student and exchange visitors filing initial Forms I-539.
	This is especially important news to our clients as adding more premium processing to
	additional benefit categories will shorten processing times for eligible applicants who pay the
	applicable fee.
	For further information or questions, you may have, please do not hesitate to contact The
	Law Offices of Michael H. Markovitch.