As many of us started to think about weekend plans, this afternoon, USCIS promised us an interesting Monday with its latest announcement. Effective Monday, October 19, 2020, the premium processing fee associated with the expedited 15 day review of eligible petitions filed with USCIS will increase from $1,440 to $2,500. H-2B and R-1 petitions however will see a minimal increase from $1,440 to $1,500. This fee increase is in line with the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, which was signed into law on September 30, 2020.
Premium Processing submissions ( Form I-907) postmarked on or after October 19, 2020, must include the new fee amount. Premium Processing is often used to ensure more reasonable adjudication timelines in a number of visa categories including H-1B, L-1 and O-1 temporary visa categories, as well as some employment based green card sponsorships. Standard case processing for these categories often range anywhere from three to eight months.
