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Last Updated On: September 29, 2023 | Published On: June 13, 2023
USCIS recently announced that it will now offer premium processing for certain petitions filed with Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, by individuals seeking to switch to F (academic students), M (vocational students), or J (exchange visitors) nonimmigrant status. The premium processing option allows applicants to have their cases expedited, resulting in faster processing time.
This change will occur in the phases outlined below:
Again, Applicants opting for premium processing are required to pay an additional fee, which guarantees expedited processing and faster decision-making. USCIS strongly encourages applicants to submit their petitions and associated forms electronically through the USCIS online filing system to expedite processing.
This is an important development and will be hugely beneficial to applicants seeking to change their status to any of the above classifications. The current processing time without premium processing is over 10 months. This impacts the applicant’s ability to start school on F-1 or M-1 status until their applications are approved. It also benefits J-1 applicants who wish to start their J-1 program or J-1 residency and are unable to do so due to processing delays if filed under regular processing. J-2 dependents will be able to get their change of status approved in 2 weeks and seek a work permit right away.