Mar 20, 2018

USCIS suspends fast processing for some H-1B visas

Director Francis Cissna of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Tuesday that, likely through September 10, it is suspending a program that allows U.S. employers to pay an extra fee to have their H-1B visa petitions processed within 15 days. The suspension applies to U.S. employers seeking new H-1B visas, including for workers with a master’s degree or higher.

Why it matters: USCIS says it is choosing to suspend premium processing to speed up overall processing. While this move forces some U.S. companies to wait longer to get needed foreign talent and adds some uncertainty to their planning, this year's suspension only applies to new cases that are not exempt from the the H-1B cap. Last year, USCIS suspended premium processing for all H-1B petitions.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 6,852,810 — Total deaths: 398,211 — Total recoveries — 3,071,142 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7:30 p.m. ET: 1,917,080 — Total deaths: 109,702 — Total recoveries: 500,849 — Total tested: 19,778,873 — Map.
  3. Public health: Why the pandemic is hitting minorities harder — Coronavirus curve rises in Florida — How racism threatens the response to the pandemic — Some people are drinking and inhaling cleaning products in attempt to fight the virus.
  4. Tech: The pandemic is accelerating next-generation disease diagnostics — Robotics looks to copy software-as-a-service model.
  5. Business: Budgets busted by coronavirus make it harder for cities to address inequality — Sports, film production in California to resume June 12 after 3-month hiatus.
  6. Education: Students and teachers flunked remote learning.
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