USCIS to Expand Premium Processing Service

MEMORANDUM

TO: Interested Parties
RE: USCIS to Expand Premium Processing Service
FROM: Edward R. Litwin
DATE: August 22, 2006

The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday that they would begin premium processing service for EB3 (Employment-based Third Preference) visa petitions. There is good news and bad news about this.

First, the bad news: It will cost $1,000.

The good news is: Those people who are running out of time on their H-1 visa or are worried about whether they qualify for an EB3 petition can obtain an answer very quickly. Since there is currently about a 5-year backlog for 3rd preference cases, the advantage of premium processing is, for most cases, negligible. However, it is an option that some people may want to consider.

Should you have any questions about this, please contact my office.