Given the substantial backlogs with processing visa applications at U.S. Consulates worldwide due to COVID-19 global pandemic, many people are wondering if they can pay a Premium Processing fee to expedite their visa petition to the Consulate.
What is the Premium Processing Fee?
This is a fee (currently $2,500) that is paid to USCIS and it means that USCIS will make a decision on your petition (approval, denial, or Request for evidence) within 15 calendar days. The Premium Processing fee is available for certain types of petitions such as E-2 , E-1 , H-1B , L-1 , O-1 , or TN. If you want USCIS to adjudicate your case in 15 days, you will need to submit Form I-907 and pay the $2,500 filing fee.
Can I pay the Premium Processing Fee at a Consulate?
Unfortunately, no. Consulates do not offer premium processing service like USCIS does, and therefore it’s not possible to pay this fee and have the case adjudicated at a Consulate in 15 days.
Is there any other way how I can get my case expedited at a U.S. Consulate?
Yes, you can file an expedite request at a Consulate. However, the requirements on how someone can qualify for the expedite request are quite narrow, so not everyone will qualify. Please see our blog post on expediting your Consular petition here.
FREE Visa Resources
Click on the buttons below in order to claim your free Visa Guide (E-1, E-2, TN, EB-5, H-1B, L-1, PERM, NIW, EB-1, O-1, E-3), sign up for our free Webinar, join our Facebook Group, or watch our videos.
Set up a Visa or Green Card Consultation
For a dedicated one-on-one consultation with one of our lawyers, click on the button below to schedule your consultation.
This website and blog constitutes attorney advertising. Do not consider anything in this website or blog legal advice and nothing in this website constitutes an attorney-client relationship being formed. Set up a one-hour consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results are no guarantee of future results and prior results do not imply or predict future results. Each case is different and must be judged on its own merits.
