US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Monday the temporary suspension of premium processing service for fiscal year 2021 cap-subject H-1B petitions.
Petitioners filing FY 2021 cap-subject H-1B petitions will not be able to request premium processing when USCIS begins accepting cap-subject petitions on April 1. Premium processing is requested through Form I-907. Any Form I-907 concurrently filed with a cap-subject H-1B petition will be rejected. The earliest USCIS will resume premium processing is June 29.
As USCIS has done in the past, premium processing will resume in a two-phased approach during the FY 2021 cap season. The first phase will include FY 2021 cap-subject H-1B petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, requesting a change of status from F-1 nonimmigrant status. The second phase will include all other fiscal 2021 cap-subject petitions.
This temporary suspension is similar to last year’s suspension and will help USCIS to reduce overall H-1B processing times, the agency said.
Petitioners filing FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions will be eligible to upgrade to premium processing by filing Form I-907 once premium processing resumes, as applicable. USCIS will notify the public with a confirmed date for resuming premium processing for FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions.
