Could “premium processing” expedite your immigration case?

As someone who is looking to live in the United States on a permanent basis, you may feel understandable frustration if red tape and processing delays are making it harder for you to do so. A growing backlog of immigration applications has some applicants asking whether there is anything they might be able to do to speed up the processing of their cases.

Per CBS News, one thing the U.S. government is doing to address the delay you and so many immigration applicants are experiencing is to expand its premium processing option.

How premium processing works

The premium processing option gives you a chance to pay to have your claim moved toward the top of the pile, so to speak. If you meet certain criteria, you may be able to pay an extra $2,500 to have your case expedited. Right now, the program applies to certain kinds of applicants and may apply to you if you are filing an H-1B petition. It may also apply if you are seeking certain types of employment-based green cards. If granted premium processing, your case may undergo adjudication within a 45-day span.

How premium processing is expanding

The expansion of the premium processing program may be gradual. Applicants that have exceptional abilities or advanced degrees and wish to immigrate without having existing job offers in place may be among the first to have their applications processed.

While premium processing is currently only available in limited circumstances, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says it is also making efforts to speed up other types of applications and plans to process them within six months.