The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on May 29, 2020, the agency will resume its premium processing service (i.e., expedited government review) for certain employment-based visa petitions in a phased approach over the course of the month of June.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on May 29, 2020, the agency will resume premium processing service (i.e. expedited government review) for certain employment-based visa petitions in a phased approach. 1 By way of background, on March 20, 2020 USCIS had announced the temporary suspension of premium processing for all Forms I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, and I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers;2 applications due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). (For prior coverage, see GMS Flash Alert 2020-128, March 30 2020.)
Employers should consider using the USCIS premium processing service to expedite adjudication for eligible employment-based visa petitions requiring notice of urgent approval. This would include visa petitions submitted on behalf of foreign national workers who face the possibility of losing work authorization due to lengthy USCIS adjudication times.
Premium processing is an optional service offered by the USCIS that allows for expedited processing of certain employment-based visa petitions.
The USCIS guarantees a 15 calendar-day processing time to those petitioners or applicants who submit a Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service and remit the government filing fee of $1,440. Under this expedited service, the USCIS must either approve, deny, or issue a request for evidence (RFE) on the application within the 15-day window of receiving the premium processing request.
USCIS has stated all dates above are subject to change as USCIS continues to take on more premium processing requests.
USCIS has stated all dates above are subject to change as USCIS continues to take on more premium processing requests.
KPMG Law LLP will notify the public should USCIS announce any changes to the above timeline for the resumption of premium processing service.
KPMG Law LLP in Canada will continue to monitor the situation, and will endeavor to keep GMS Flash Alert readers informed as developments occur.
1 To read USCIS’s May 29, 2020 news release on the resumption of Premium Processing, click here.
2 To read USCIS’s March 20, 2020 news release on the temporary suspension of Premium Processing, click here.
*Please note that KPMG LLP (U.S.) does not provide any immigration services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.
The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in Canada.
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