USCIS announced on March 6, 2023 the expansion of premium processing for certain F-1 students seeking OPT, STEM OPT extensions who have a pending I-765, application for employment authorization, and wish to request a premium processing upgrade.
Premium processing expansion for certain F-1 students will occur in phases, and students requesting premium processing should not file before these dates:
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.
USCIS will reject any premium processing request for an initial or concurrently filed Form I-765 that is received before April 3.
The expansion of premium processing is part of USCIS’ efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall immigration system, and is being implemented in a phased approach.