USCIS Expands Premium Processing for F-1 Students Seeking OPT and STEM OPT Extensions.

by David H. Nachman, Esq., Ludka Zimovcak, Esq., Snehal Batra, Esq. and Samantha Chasworth, Esq.


The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT extensions is now available to those with a pending Form I-765 who wish to request an upgrade. F-1 students in these categories can file their Form I-907 request for premium processing either online or via paper form, but they must do so according to the following timeline:

• From March 6, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests for certain F-1 students with pending Form I-765 applications who are filing for Pre-Completion OPT, Post-Completion OPT, or 24-Month Extension of OPT for STEM students.

• From April 3, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests for F-1 students in the above categories when filed together with Form I-765.

USCIS will reject any requests for premium processing that are received before the above dates. Applicants who wish to file Form I-907 online must first create a USCIS online account, which is free and offers secure features such as communication with USCIS and tracking of pending requests.

The expansion of premium processing is part of USCIS' efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the immigration system, and is being implemented in phases. With the addition of online filing for Form I-907, there are now 16 forms available for online filing. USCIS continues to accept paper versions of all forms by mail. In FY 2022, more than 1.8 million applications, petitions, and requests were filed online, representing a 53% increase from FY 2021.

About The Author


David H. Nachman, Esq. is one of the Managing Attorneys at the Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., a pre-eminent International Immigration and Nationality Law Firm dedicated to providing a wide array of business and family immigration law services for skilled U.S.-and Canada-bound workers. The Attorneys in our Law Firm assist clients with waivers, marriage cases, citizenship applications, I-130 sponsorship for family, etc.
If you have any questions about how the immigration and nationality laws in the United States may impact you or your family members or if you want to access additional information about the United States or Canadian immigration and nationality laws, please feel free to get in touch with the immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group. You can send us an email at info@visaserve.com or you can call us at 201-670-0006 extension 104. In addition, we invite you to find more information on our website at www.visaserve.com

Ludka Zimovcak, Esq. is a Managing Attorney at NPZ Law Group, PC. Mrs. Zimovcak's passion for excellence in immigration law derives from her own family's first-hand immigration experiences. She is fully licensed to practice as an Attorney in Slovakia and New York

Snehal Batra, Esq. is Managing Attorney of our Raritan, NJ office at the Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., a pre-eminent International Immigration and Nationality Law Firm dedicated to providing a wide array of business and family immigration law services for skilled U.S.-and Canada-bound workers. Ms. Batra is an Indian-American attorney with a passion for immigration law which derives from being an immigrant herself. Having been born in India and raised in New Jersey, Ms. Batra understands firsthand the many difficulties and challenges that immigrants commonly experience while engaged in the U.S. immigration process. As such, she is eager to help families, businesses and individual immigrants to realize the American dream.

Samantha Chasworth, Esq. is Counsel at the Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., a pre-eminent International Immigration and Nationality Law Firm dedicated to providing a wide array of business and family immigration law services for skilled U.S.-and Canada-bound workers. Ms. Chasworth earned a Juris Doctorate (JD) from the St. John's University School of Law in Queens, New York, where she was an editor on the Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development and participated in numerous immigration and family law clinics and internships including time at the US-Mexico Border at the Karnes County Civil Detention Center.

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