NewsFlash! USCIS Announces Plans for Expansion of Premium Processing and Additional Initiatives to Reduce Adjudication Delays

Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced multiple initiatives to help streamline the adjudication of benefit requests and reduce significant backlogs. Most importantly, the agency announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized the rule expanding premium processing to additional application types, including:

• All I-140 petitions, including for the EB1(c) category and for EB2 national interest waivers (NIWs), both of which historically have not had access to premium processing
• Form I-539 applications, which are used to apply for changes or extensions of status for most dependents (e.g., H-4, L-2), along with F-1 students, B-1/B-2 visitors, etc.
• Form I-765, which is used to apply for EADs

While the final rule has not yet been published, the USCIS announced that it plans to implement the expansion of premium processing in a phased approach this year, beginning with expanding premium processing to Form I-140 petitions for the EB1(c) category and for EB2 national interest waivers (NIWs).

The USCIS also announced that the agency will establish new internal cycle time goals to help reduce the processing times of several applications. The cycle time goals will allow the agency to review and analyze its progress in reducing case backlogs and case processing.

The Murthy Law Firm will continue to monitor this development, including the publication of the final premium processing rule in the Federal Register, which will likely provide a timeline of the premium processing expansion phases.

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