US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed premium processing effective September 18, 2017 for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap including for the 20,000 additional petitions for those workers with a US master’s degree or higher educational degree. Premium processing is only available for pending H-1B cap petitions, not new submissions, since USCIS received more than enough petitions during the April filing window to meet the FY 2018 cap.

USCIS previously resumed premium processing H-1B petitions filed on behalf of physicians under the Conrad 30 waiver program, in addition to interested government agency waivers and for certain H-1B petitions that are not cap subject. Premium processing remains temporarily suspended for all other H-1B petitions, including extensions of stay. USCIS will resume premium processing for all other remaining H-1B petitions “as agency workloads permit.” Petitioners may submit a request to expedite their application if they meet the specific agency criteria, but these requests are granted at the discretion of the office leadership.