USCIS Temporarily Suspends Premium Processing for FYH Cases

March 16, 2020

Today the USCIS announced it will temporarily suspend premium processing for the fiscal year H-1B cases which employers, if selected in the upcoming lottery, will be filing beginning April 1, 2020.   

The H-1B registration period is currently underway and ends on March 20, 2020. Shortly after, the USCIS anticipates it will conduct the lottery by March 31 and selected cases will then have 90 days to file the H-1B petitions, beginning April 1.

As they did last year, the USCIS will resume premium processing in 2 phases: 

1. No later than May 27, 2020, the USCIS will resume premium processing for cases where the beneficiary requests a change of status from F-1 to H-1B 
2. On or after June 29, 2020, the USCIS will resume premium processing for all other fiscal year petitions. 

The suspension of premium processing does not at this time apply to other types of H-1B requests, such as extensions, amendments and change of employer.