USCIS Announces New Premium Processing And Online Filing Procedures For F-1 Students Seeking OPT or STEM OPT Extensions

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
WASHINGTON , DC— The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the expansion of premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT extensions. The expansion is aimed at streamlining the immigration process for international students and will take place in two phases. Beginning March 6, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests, either online or by mail, for students who already have a pending Form I-765. Starting April 3, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests for students who are filing both Form I-765 and Form I-907 together.

To file Form I-907 online, applicants must first create a USCIS online account. This account provides a secure and convenient way to submit forms, pay fees, and track the status of any pending immigration request. The addition of online filing for Form I-907 brings the total number of forms available for online filing to 16.

The USCIS has also stated that they will reject any premium processing request if received before the specified dates. The expansion of premium processing is part of USCIS’s efforts to increase efficiency and reduce the burden on the immigration system. In FY 2022, more than 1.8 million applications, petitions, and requests were filed online, a 53% increase from the previous year.