USCIS ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE-FILING PROCEDURES FOR F-1 STUDENTS SEEKING OPT OR STEM OPT EXTENSIONS
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expanding premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 students seeking science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) OPT extensions who have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and wish to request a premium processing upgrade. Online filing of Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, is now also available to F-1 students in these categories.
According to USCIS director, Ur M. Jaddou, “ the availability of premium processing for certain F-1 students, in addition to the ease of online filing, will streamline the immigration experience for a great many international students.”
This premium processing expansion will occur in phases:
Beginning March 6, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests, filed either via paper form or online, for certain F-1 students who already have a pending Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, if they are filing under one of the following categories:
(c)(3)(A) – Pre-Completion OPT;
(c)(3)(B) – Post-Completion OPT; and
(c)(3)(C) – 24-Month Extension of OPT for STEM students.
Beginning April 3, USCIS will accept Form I-907 requests, filed either via paper form or online, for F-1 students in the above categories when filed together with Form I-765.
Students should not apply before these dates. If so, USCIS will reject premium processing requests for a pending Form I-765 if received before March 6 and will reject any premium processing request for an initial or concurrently filed Form I-765 that is received before April 3.
To file Form I-907 online, an applicant must first create a USCIS online account. There is no cost to set up a USCIS online account. Applicants who previously filed a paper Form I-765 and wish to file Form I-907 online to request premium processing should reference the USCIS Account Access Notice they received for the Online Access Code and details on how to link their paper-filed cases to their online account, or they will not be able to file Form I-907 online and will need file a paper Form I-907 with the Chicago lockbox.
Click here to view the USCIS news release.
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