USCIS Reinstates Premium Processing Services for I-140 Petitions Effective 06/29/2009

USCIS will receive I-140 premium processing request applications for the following categories effective June 29, 2009:

Click here to see the memo                                                                                                                   

• EB-1A: Extraordinary Worker Petitions
• EB-1B: Outstanding Research/Teacher Petitions
• EB-21: Advanced Degree and Exceptional Worker Petitions 
• EB-31A: Professional Worker Petitions 
• EB-31B: Skilled Worker Petitions 
• EB-3EW: Unskilled Worker Petition

The following categories remain unavailable:

• EB-1C: Multinational Corporation Executive/Manager Petitions 
• EB-2NIW: National Interest Waiver based EB-2 Petitions.

This reinstatement of Premium Processing has the following benefits, among others:

• AC 21 porting of approved I-140 petition to new employment after 180 days of I-485 filing 
• Three-year increment extension of H-1B status indefinitely pending visa number availability 
• Two-year extension of EAD pending visa number availability 
• Retention of priority date allowing recapture of the retained priority date afterwards to new I-140 petitions in identical or different EB classifications and with same or different employer sponsored I-140 petitions