Premium processing provides expedited processing for certain immigration requests. In exchange for an additional fee, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guarantees that it will take some adjudicative action (approval, denial, request for evidence, notice of intent to deny) in a shorter timeframe than normal processing.
The following benefit requests are designated under the regulations for Premium Processing Service. Please be aware that you may only request premium processing for a benefit if USCIS has announced on its website that premium processing is available for that benefit. Your request for premium processing (via Form I-907) must also comply with any conditions that may apply. To determine if Premium Processing is available for your benefit request, visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/I-907 or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call: 1-800-767-1833.
| Form | Classification or Category Designated for Premium Processing | Fee (as of May 2024) | Response Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization | I-765 categories (Post-completion OPT & STEM OPT Extension) | $1,685 | Up to 30 business days Note: Premium processing time does not account for EAD production and EAD mail delivery time. Allow 1 – 3 weeks additional time for production and mail delivery of the EAD. |
| Form I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status | E-1, E-2, E-3, F-1, F-2, H-4, J-1, J-2, O-3 | $1,965 | Up to 30 business days |
| Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker | E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, O, TN | $2,805 | Up to 15 business days |
More information
You may file your request for Premium Processing Service with the applicable petition or application. You may also file the request for Premium Processing Service after you file the applicable petition or application, as long as USCIS has not made a final decision on the applicable petition or application.
The USCIS premium processing fee is IN ADDITION TO all other applicable filing fees.
You must pay the I-907 premium processing fee separately.
Filing for premium processing with the I-765, Application for Employment Authorization is optional. Prior to paying the premium processing fee, OISS recommends that you consider the following:
- Current USCIS I-765 processing times
- The amount of time before your intended OPT employment start date
- Whether you need your EAD for travel purposes after your I-20 end date
To check processing times for any type of OPT application, go to USCIS I-765 processing times and select:
- “I-765 Application for Employment Authorization” under “Form”
- “Based on a request by a qualified F-1 academic student [(c)(3)]” under “Form Category”
- “Potomac Service Center” under “Field Office or Service Center”
Notes from OISS
- Requests for premium processing must be made directly to USCIS. We recommend you carefully read all USCIS instructions and information before deciding to request premium processing.
- Applying for USCIS premium processing will not impact OISS processing time.
- We do our best to keep this page updated with the latest information from USCIS. However, as this is a relatively new option from USCIS, you should check with USCIS regarding the latest premium processing updates, fees, and services.