Washington :
Certain international students studying in the United States can now choose to use premium processing services to obtain their work authorisation.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has expanded the premium processing service to include F-1 students who are seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT)
or STEM OPT extensions and have a pending Form I-765 application for employment authorization.
These students can request an upgrade to premium processing by filing an online version of Form I-907 or by mailing the latest paper version.
The USCIS aims to improve the efficiency of the immigration system and reduce burdens by implementing this phased approach, which began on March 6 for some categories and will begin on April 3 for others.
USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou believes that the online filing procedures for Form I-907 and the availability of premium processing
for certain F-1 students will streamline the immigration process for international students.
Premium processing expansion for certain F-1 students will occur in phases, and students requesting premium processing should not file before these dates:
Beginning March 6, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests, filed either via paper form or online, for certain F-1 students who already have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, if they are filing under one of the following categories:
(c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT;
(c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT; and
(c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for STEM students.
Beginning April 3, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests, filed either via paper form or online, for F-1 students in the above categories when filed together with Form I-765.
USCIS has said it will reject premium processing requests for a pending Form I-765 if received before March 6, and will reject any premium processing request for an initial or concurrently filed Form I-765 that is received before April 3.
Premium Processing of Green Cards
The premium processing of certain categories of green card applicants and visa applications, particularly those associated with the education of international students, has been expanded by the Biden Administration since January.
The expansion is being implemented in phases, starting with premium processing for EB-1 and EB-2 green card applications.
Additionally, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has included all previously submitted Form I-140 petitions under the E13 multinational executive and manager classification
or E21 classification for members of professions with advanced degrees or exceptional ability seeking a National Interest Waiver (NIW).
