U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended premium processing to certain I-765 applications filed by F-1 students pursuing Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM OPT. Premium processing is available for I-765 applications for F-1 students applying under any of the following Form I-765 categories: pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT, or 24-month STEM OPT extension.
As of March 6, 2023, USCIS will accept premium processing requests filed for already pending I-765 applications for pre or post completion OPT or STEM OPT. On April 3, USCIS will start accepting I-765 applications that are concurrently filed with the premium processing request on Form I-907. Form I-907 can be filed on paper or online using a USCIS online account.
The fee for this type of premium processing request is $1,500 and USCIS will issue a decision within 30 calendar days after receiving all required documents. These changes are part of USCIS’s planned expansion of premium processing to additional categories. Additional expansions are expected later this year. You can learn more about the previous actions USCIS has taken to expand premium processing in the EB1 and EB2 categories here.
<h2>Premium processing and the 2026 extension of stay requirement</h2>
<p>Premium processing for Form I-765 covers the work authorization application. It does not cover an extension of stay. Under the DHS final rule effective September 15, 2026, F-1 students admitted for a fixed period who need to remain in the United States beyond that period must file an extension of stay application with USCIS, and Form I-539 filed for an extension of stay in F or J status is not eligible for premium processing.</p>
This matters for timing. A student can pay to accelerate the OPT employment authorization decision while the underlying extension of stay application sits in the standard queue. Premium processing on the Form I-765 does not shorten that second timeline, and it does not authorize employment before the extension is granted.
