Holding to true to its plans to expand its premium processing services to “increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system”, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced it is implementing premium processing service and online-filing procedures for certain F-1 student visa holders seeking Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) and F-1 students seeking science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (“STEM”) OPT extensions.
As of March 6, 2023, USCIS has implemented premium processing service for certain F-1 students applying for OPT or STEM OPT extensions with pending Applications for Employment Authorization, Form I-765. Eligible applicants may file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, along with the $1,500 filing fee to obtain a decision within the thirty-day processing timeframe, if they are filing under one of the following categories:
(c)(3)(A) – pre-completion OPT;
(c)(3)(B) – post-completion OPT; or
(c)(3)(C) – 24-month STEM OPT extension.
In the second phase of the expansion, beginning April 3, 2023, USCIS will begin to accept premium processing requests for F-1 students filing under one of the above categories when their Form I-765 is filed concurrently with Form I-907.
Notably, USCIS will accept Form I-907 filed electronically online or in paper form. Applicants who previously filed a paper Form I-765 and wish to file Form I-907 online to request premium processing are required to reference the USCIS Account Access Notice they received for the Online Access Code and follow instructions on how to link their paper-filed cases to their online account. Failure to follow the procedure may result in ineligibility to file Form I-907 online and applicants will need file a paper Form I-907 with the Chicago lockbox.
Additionally, the Service will reject premium processing requests for a pending Form I-765 if the request is received before March 6, 2023. They will also reject any premium processing request for an initial or concurrently filed Form I-765 that is received before April 3, 2023.