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Starting from March 6, 2023, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has opened expedited service application channels for OPT/STEM OPT for F-1 visa holders awaiting I-765 approval.
Since April 3, 2023, F-1 students can submit paper applications or fill out the I-765 form online to apply for expedited services.
Although online applications have significantly improved processing speed compared to paper applications, USCIS still takes several months to process I-765 OPT and STEM OPT applications. Therefore, students planning to apply for OPT employment OPT挂靠 or need to transfer to a company through OPT extension OPT延期挂靠 should plan and prepare in advance.
Given that international students can only start working after obtaining the Employment Authorization Document (EAD card), the lengthy approval process complicates the hiring process for these students and increases uncertainty about their start dates. For example, even if you have a job offer and are ready to start, you cannot work until USCIS issues the EAD card.
It is especially critical that if STEM OPT applicants fail to submit the extension application before the initial OPT deadline, they will have to stop working until USCIS makes a decision on the STEM OPT application. However, fortunately, opting for expedited service can greatly simplify this process! It is worth noting that USCIS plans to provide premium processing?services for OPT and STEM OPT applicants from 2023.
The expedited service provided by USCIS incurs a fee of $1,500 and promises to process applications for eligible applicants within 30 calendar days. In other words, within a month, OPT and STEM OPT applicants will receive one of the following responses from USCIS:
Therefore, if you are considering whether to opt for expedited services for your OPT or STEM OPT application, it is advisable to research beforehand to determine if this service meets your needs. With over 10 years of visa experience, MaxOPT will provide you with professional guidance, answer your questions, and help you make informed decisions.
Conditions for applying for OPT/STEM OPT expedited processing
Only applicants in specific categories are eligible to apply for expedited processing:
This means that F-1 students who do not fall under categories (c)(3)(A), (c)(3)(B), or (c)(3)(C) when applying for EAD, i.e., students of category (c)(3)(iii), are not eligible for expedited processing services. If students fail to submit Form I-907 (Request for Expedited Processing) according to the specified timeline, their expedited requests will be rejected by USCIS.
How to apply for OPT/STEM OPT expedited processing If OPT/STEM OPT applicants wish to expedite processing, they must fill out Form I-907 for expedited processing and pay the corresponding fee of $1,500. When submitting an expedited request, please note the following key points:
For OPT/STEM OPT applicants choosing to submit a paper application, it is recommended to refer to the USCIS official guidelines to confirm the correct submission location for Form I-907.
Several key factors need to be considered before deciding to apply for expedited processing for OPT/STEM OPT.
Before deciding whether to apply for expedited processing for OPT/STEM OPT, carefully consider the following situations. If any of the following situations apply to you, then you may need to consider choosing expedited services: