Month: June 2023

Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the expansion of premium processing for change of status applications where individuals are looking to change to F, M, or J nonimmigrant status.

Premium processing will be implemented in the following phases:

• Beginning June 13, USCIS will accept premium processing requests, filed via paper form or online, for applicants seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 status, who have a pending Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.
• Beginning June 26, USCIS will accept premium processing requests, filed either via paper form or online, for applicants seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 status, when filed together with Form I-539.

A few notes about this change:

1. Premium processing is only available for change of status requests at this time.
2. Applicants must submit their biometrics before premium processing can begin. Even if USCIS accepts an applicant’s Form I-907 and accompanying fees, the time limit for premium processing will not start running until the applicant and all co-applicants included on the Form I-539 submit their biometrics.

Please reach out to a CYA attorney with any questions about this new expansion to premium processing.

The U.S. Department of State posted the July 2023 visa bulletin, and there are some significant shifts to be seen. Unfortunately, in the most notable movement, EB-3 for India retrogressed from June 15, 2012, in June to January 1, 2009, and EB-3 for the rest of the world, Mexico, and the Philippines also retrogressed. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Serves has stated that for July 2023, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart and applicants in all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.

If you have questions about the visa bulletin or EB-3 retrogression, please contact the attorneys at CYA today!