United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a final rule that increases the agency’s fees for the Premium Processing of various nonimmigrant petitions and applications and immigrant petitions.  These increases are relatively modest and are intended to reflect inflationary cost increases between June 2023 and June 2025.

Premium Processing allows the expedited processing of the following USCIS forms:

• Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker;
• Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker;
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; and
• Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.

To request premium processing, Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, must be completed and submitted with the petition or application to be adjudicated or after the time of filing to request an upgrade to premium processing.  If Premium Processing is requested, USCIS guarantees that it will take adjudicative action (i.e., an approval, denial, or request for evidence) on the relevant application or petition within the time frames described below:

• 15 business days for most Form I-129 nonimmigrant and Form I-140 immigrant petitions;
• 30 business days for Form I-765;
• 30 business days for Form I-539 applicants requesting a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1 or J-2 nonimmigrant status;
• 45 business days for Form I-140 E13 multinational executive and manager and Form I-140 E21 national interest waiver classifications

These increases will not be implemented until March 1, 2026.  Until then, the current Premium Processing fees will apply.  A Premium Processing request postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include the new fee for the specific benefit requested.  The chart below summarizes the various Premium Processing fee increases.