USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Fiscal Year 2019 H-1B Cap Petitions

USCIS announced today that it will resume premium processing on Monday, Jan. 28, for all fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap petitions (i.e., cap-subject H-1B cases filed in April 2018 and still pending).

When a petitioner requests premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-day processing time. If USCIS does not take adjudicative action (e.g., request for evidence, approval or denial) within the 15‑calendar day processing time, USCIS refunds the petitioner’s premium processing service fee and continues with expedited processing of the petition. This service is only available for pending cap-subject H1B petitions (not new submissions because USCIS already received enough petitions to meet the FY 2019 cap).

The previously announced temporary suspension of premium processing for H-1B transfer or amendment cases remain in effect.  USCIS plans to resume premium processing for such categories as its workload permits.