Premium Processing Begins for Certain Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions on May 20

On May 20, USCIS will begin premium processing for FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitioners requesting a change of status on their Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. Petitioners who do not file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, concurrently with an FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petition requesting a change of status must wait until premium processing begins on May 20 to submit Form I-907.   

On March 19, we announced that we would offer premium processing in a two-phased approach during the FY 2020 cap season to best manage premium processing requests without fully suspending it. In the past few years, we had to suspend all premium processing for H-1B petitions due to high demand. Based on feedback from the public, we are using this phased approach to benefit petitioners and ensure efficient premium processing. The first phase includes FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting a change of status and the second phase will include all other FY 2020 cap-subject petitions.

Premium processing for all other FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions will not begin until at least June 2019. We will notify the public with a confirmed date for premium processing for cap-subject petitioners not requesting a change of status. At this time, premium processing for H-1B petitions that are exempt from the cap, such as extension of stay requests, remains available. 

Pre-paid Mailer Temporary Suspension

Starting on May 20 and continuing through the end of June 3, we will not use pre-paid mailers to send out final notices for premium processing for FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting a change of status. Instead, we will use regular mail. We will be doing this due to resource limitations as we work to process all premium processing petitions in a timely manner. The process for printing approval notices and sending them by regular mail is fully automated, whereas use of the pre-paid mailers requires a separate and more time-consuming manual process. As such, and given the initial surge of premium processing requests for H-1B cap petitions and its impact on USCIS resources, using pre-paid mailers may actually delay the issuance of an approval notice, compared to the standard process or otherwise negatively affect our ability to timely process premium processing petitions. After the two-week period, we intend to resume sending out final notices in pre-paid mailers provided by petitioners, when operationally feasible. We will be following a similar process when premium processing resumes for the second phase of FY 2020 cap-subject H-1B petitions.