15 Day Premium Processing Clock for FY H-1B Lottery Winners Begins April 28
April 17, 2014 | Tags: H-1B
The Fiscal Year (FY) H-1B dust is just beginning to settle over at USCIS Service Centers from the record 172,500 FY 2015 year H-1B cases filed April 1 through April 7, and the resulting computer generated lottery held April 10. On April 17, USCIS related it will keep its promise made earlier in the month that it would begin the 15 day Premium Processing clock for all Bachelors and advanced degree FY H-1B cases "no later" than April 28. What this means for employers:
- Expect determinations closer to the latter part of the 15 day Premium Processing period; here, the 15th day is May 12.
- If you haven't received a Premium Processing electronic receipt notice yet, remember it isn't over until you receive the returned application package (along with uncashed checks).
- Expect a higher percentage of "Requests for Evidence" as historically overworked adjudicators during FY H-1B season tend to steer towards the RFE. The 15 day Premium Processing Clock stops when the government issues an RFE and then starts all over again once the government receives the employer's response. Given the $1225 Premium Processing filing fee, that timeframe doesn't seem quite right.
- Our earlier post on the FY cap being reached includes information on reaching out to Congress for a temporary bump up in FY H-1B numbers and strategies for back up plans for lottery losers.
- Receipt Notices for Non Premium Processing cases should start to trickle in over the next few weeks.
We will continue to notify our clients with case updates and strategies.
