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PREMIUM PROCESSING PROGRAM
Following is a summary
of the details of the Premium Processing Service provided by USCIS (earlier known as INS) for expedited processing of petitions.
When It Started
USCIS (earlier known as INS) introduced the Premium Processing Program beginning June 01, 2001.
USCIS has designated the Form I-129 (Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker), for the Premium Processing Program
Price Tag
$1,000 per petition (above and beyond any other fees)
Service Provided
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“guaranteed” response within 15 calendar days
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Fee will be refunded if response is not received from USCIS in within 15 days (however there will be no refund if fraud is found)
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Clock begins running when the filing is received at the Service Center, NOT when it is fed in
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If submission of additional evidence is required, a new 15-day period will begin upon the delivery of a response to the Service Center
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Program includes enhanced customer service/communications means, such as e-mail, faxpress, separate mailing address and or separate telephone numbers.
Program Outline
The Premium Processing Program started off with the following categories of I-129's, beginning June 01, 2002 :
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E-1 Treaty Trader;
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E-2 Treaty Investor;
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H-2B Temporary Worker;
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H-3 Trainee;
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L-1 Intra-company Transferees;
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O-1 and O-2 aliens of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement;
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P-1, P-2 and P-3 Athletes and Entertainers; and
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Q-1 International Cultural Exchange Aliens.
On July 30, 2001, USCIS added the following
categories to the Premium Processing Program :
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H-1B Temporary Workers in specialty occupations;
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R-1 Temporary Workers in Religious Occupations; and
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TN NAFTA Professionals
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USCIS will continue existing expedite systems and criteria, but once a visa category is added to the premium processing program, expedites outside of the program for those categories will be eliminated.
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Nonprofits will continue to be eligible for expedites outside the premium processing program, even if the visa category has been added to the program.
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USCIS plans to add some I-140's (most likely for L-1As and labor certification based) to the program in the future
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There may be some provision for “super Expedites” - i.e. faster than 15 days - when existing criteria for an expedite are proven and the $1,000 fee is paid.
Program Details
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Program is being conducted at the four Service Centers
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Form I-907 has been created to gather the needed contact information
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USCIS declares that “the processing of other forms will not be allowed to suffer as a result of Premium Processing”, but cautions that the new processing obligations imposed by the LIFE legislation are likely to result in increased processing backlogs
Note:
For more details on Premium Processing please click
here
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