H1B Premium Processing

If you are a foreign national who wish to legally work in the United States, the biggest challenge that you face is finding an employer who can file a H1B visa petition on your behalf. So, as a first step for applying H-1B visa, you must find an H-1B job from an H-1B employer company in the U.S., also known as H-1B sponsor. In other words, H1B visa application process should be initiated by the employer.

The employer can be a partnership or corporation. The employer would file a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the Department of Labor (DOL) along with required documentation. Visit H-1B Document Requirement List page to know whatever documentation is required for the processing of an H-1B Visa. Next, the H-1B visa sponsor files the certified LCA with a Form I-129 petition. Based on the approval of petition, you may apply for H-1B visa. Visit H1-B visa process page to know more about H-1B visa application process.

Anyhow, you have to follow a lot of steps to apply for H-1B work visa and entire procedure may take about approximately six months. In order to speed up the processing of H-1B visa petition, you may apply for H-1B premium processing.

What is Premium Processing?

Premium processing means your visa petition will be reviewed within 15 days of filing, in exchange for an additional USCIS processing fee. Only non-immigrant worker visa petitions can be quickly processed through the premium service. The types of visas that can be processed through premium processing service are listed below:

• E-1 Treaty Trader Visa
• E-2 Treaty Investor Work Visa
• H-1B Temporary Worker Visa
• H-2A Visa
• H-2B Work Visa
• H-3 Alien Trainee Visa
• L-1 Intra Company Business Visa
• O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa
• O-2 Visa for Support Staff
• P-1 Visa for Athletes and Entertainers
• P-2 Visa for Artists & Entertainers in Exchange Programs
• P-3 Visa for Artists and Entertainers of Culturally Unique Programs
• R-1 Religious Worker Visa

Premium Processing Service for H-1B Visa:

With premium processing service, a U.S. employer is able to obtain faster processing of a petition to meet their needs for a foreign worker. In order to make use of this premium processing service, the employer must pay an additional fee of $1000 to the USCIS. Under H-1B visa premium processing, the USCIS guarantees to process your H1B visa petition within 15 calendar days from the date you applied for H1B premium processing.

Within 15 calendar days, the employer will receive either an approval of notice, a request for further evidence or notice of intent to deny the petition. If the USCIS fails to give a response within 15 days, they will refund the additional fee of $1,000.