What Is Form I-907? Request for Premium Processing

Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, is the form you file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pay for faster handling of an eligible employment-based petition or application. In exchange for an additional fee of $1,780 to $2,965, USCIS guarantees it will take some adjudicative action on your case within 15, 30, or 45 business days, depending on the category, instead of the months or longer that standard processing can take.¹ The form is short. The rules around who qualifies, what “action” means, and how to pay are where filings go wrong.

Which Cases Qualify

Premium processing is only available for four underlying forms, and within those forms, only for specific classifications USCIS has designated as eligible.²

Form I-129 (nonimmigrant workers): H-1B specialty occupation workers, L-1 intracompany transferees, O-1 individuals with extraordinary ability, P-1 athletes and entertainers, E-1/E-2/E-3 treaty workers, H-2B temporary workers, H-3 trainees, Q-1 cultural exchange participants, R-1 religious workers, and TN professionals under the USMCA.
Form I-140 (employment-based immigrant petitions): EB-1A extraordinary ability, EB-1B outstanding researchers, EB-1C multinational executives and managers, EB-2 advanced degree professionals (including National Interest Waiver petitions), and EB-3 skilled workers.¹
Form I-765 (employment authorization): F-1 students applying for pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT, or the 24-month STEM OPT extension.³
Form I-539 (change or extension of status): Applicants changing status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2, and certain dependents seeking H-4, L-2, O-3, P-4, R-2, or E-dependent classification.⁴

Availability shifts. USCIS can suspend or reinstate premium processing for specific sub-classifications through operational announcements, so check the USCIS I-907 page for your particular category before you file.⁵

Current Fees

USCIS raised all premium processing fees effective March 1, 2026. Submitting the wrong amount will get your I-907 rejected and returned.⁶

$2,965 for most Form I-129 classifications (H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1, E-1/E-2/E-3, H-3, Q-1, TN) and all Form I-140 petitions.
$2,075 for Form I-539 change-of-status requests to F, J, or M classifications and eligible dependent categories such as H-4 and L-2.
$1,780 for Form I-129 petitions for H-2B and R-1 workers, and for Form I-765 OPT and STEM OPT applications.

The premium processing fee is on top of the base filing fee for the underlying petition or application, and it cannot be waived for any reason.⁷

What You Actually Get for the Fee

The guarantee is that USCIS will take some adjudicative action within the applicable window. It is not a guarantee of approval. Within 15, 30, or 45 business days, USCIS will do one of the following:¹

Approve the petition or application.
Deny it.
Issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) asking for more documentation.
Issue a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) with a chance to respond.
Open an investigation if fraud or misrepresentation is suspected.

Any of these satisfies the guarantee. An RFE is the most common non-approval outcome and usually means the officer needs one or two more documents to decide.

Timeframes by Category

The windows are measured in business days, and the difference matters when you’re counting weekends and federal holidays.

15 business days: Most Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker classifications.
30 business days: Form I-765 OPT and STEM OPT applications, and Form I-539 change-of-status requests to F, J, or M classifications. The I-539 clock starts only after all prerequisites are met.
45 business days: Form I-140 petitions for EB-1C multinational executives and managers and EB-2 National Interest Waiver classifications.

How an RFE Resets the Clock

When USCIS issues an RFE or NOID, the premium processing clock stops. A new period of the same length (15, 30, or 45 business days) starts when USCIS receives your response.¹ Get an RFE on day 14 of a 15-day window, and your total wait realistically stretches to close to 30 business days plus whatever time you spend preparing the response. The fee still covers the restart. You do not pay again.

Refund if USCIS Misses the Deadline

If USCIS takes no adjudicative action within the guaranteed window, you’re entitled to a refund of the premium processing fee. The case keeps moving forward. A refund does not mean the petition is abandoned or withdrawn. To request the refund, contact the USCIS Contact Center or send a written request to the office handling your case.⁸ Keep your receipt notice and track the case online.

How to File

You can file Form I-907 together with the underlying petition, or after that petition is already pending. Whether you file online or by mail depends on the form.

Online

USCIS accepts online I-907 filings for H-1B petitions (cap and non-cap), F-1 student OPT and STEM OPT applications filed on Form I-765, and I-539 change-of-status requests to F, J, or M.⁹ You sign by typing your full legal name in the electronic signature field and pay through your USCIS account.

By Mail

Form I-140 petitions filed together with Form I-907 must go by mail. You cannot submit both online at the same time. You can, however, file the I-140 online first and then mail a separate I-907 to request premium processing on the pending petition.¹⁰ When mailing a request for a case already pending, include a copy of your Form I-797 receipt notice so USCIS can match the request to the file. The receipt number is a 13-character code, three letters followed by ten digits, printed on any notice of action USCIS has sent you.¹¹

USCIS generally requires electronic payment for paper filings. Personal checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks are no longer accepted unless you qualify for a limited exemption, such as lacking access to banking or electronic payment.¹² To pay by credit or debit card with a paper filing, include a completed and signed Form G-1450 authorizing USCIS to charge the fee. The correct mailing address depends on the underlying form and which service center has jurisdiction, so use the current filing instructions for your specific form.

Signature Requirements

Paper filings need an original handwritten signature. A photocopy or scan of that signed document is acceptable if it was originally signed by hand. Online filings use a typed electronic signature. USCIS rejects any filing with a missing or deficient signature and returns it without processing, and there is no chance to fix a bad signature on a pending request. You resubmit the whole package.¹³

Who Pays

For H-1B petitions, the Department of Labor treats all filing fees, including premium processing, as a business expense the sponsoring employer must cover. An employer cannot require the H-1B worker to reimburse the premium processing fee if doing so would drop the worker’s pay below the required wage. The restriction covers payroll deductions and other repayment.¹⁴

In self-petitioned categories like EB-1A extraordinary ability or EB-2 National Interest Waiver, the individual filing pays. In employer-sponsored categories outside H-1B, the employer typically pays, though the legal restrictions are less explicit than the H-1B rules.

Dependents Do Not Get Premium Processing Automatically

Premium processing on a principal worker’s I-129 does not extend to a dependent’s I-539 for H-4 or L-2 status, and you cannot separately request premium processing for those dependent filings. USCIS has committed to reviewing an H-4 or L-2 dependent’s I-539 as soon as possible after adjudicating the principal’s I-129, if both forms are packaged together and filed at the same time and location.¹

Dependents in O-3, P-4, or R-2 classifications have no similar co-processing arrangement. Their option is to request expedited processing case-by-case through USCIS, a separate process with no guaranteed timeline.

Checking on a Filed Request

USCIS runs a dedicated phone line for premium processing inquiries at 866-315-5718. Have your receipt number ready. F-1 students who filed I-907 online for OPT or STEM OPT can also send secure messages through their USCIS online account.¹ These channels are for people who have already submitted a request. General immigration questions go to the main USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing?
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Expands Premium Processing for Applicants Seeking to Change Into F, M, or J Nonimmigrant Status
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USCIS. Form I-907, Instructions for Request for Premium Processing Service
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipt Number
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