On June 11, 2018, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) posted a practice alert on the Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service.1
The AILA practice alert concerns the newest edition of the Form I-907, dated 4/11/18. Starting on June 18, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept the 4/11/18 edition of the Form I-907. Prior to that date, the USCIS is still accepting the 12/11/15 and 1/29/15 editions of the Form I-907.
The 4/11/18 edition of the Form I-907 does not include fax number fields for requestors and preparers of the Form I-907. The previous two editions do include fax number fields. In response to an inquiry from AILA, the USCIS Service Center Operations Directorate (SCOPS) acknowledged that the fax number fields had been removed in the newest edition of the Form I-907. SCOPS explained to AILA that in the event that a fax number is not provided on the Form I-907, “the Premium Processing Unit will look to the [Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative].” If no fax number is included on the Form G-28, the Premium Processing Unit will not fax.
AILA recommends that attorneys and representatives who communicate by fax “include their fax information on [the] Form G-28 and ensure that this information is prominent and not easily overlooked.” It noted that an individual filing the Form I-907 may still have the option of writing a fax number directly onto the Form I-907, “particularly for cases where no Form G-28 is submitted.” However, it does not appear that the latter case was addressed in the USCIS SCOPS statement.
The AILA Practice Alert contains a useful reminder regarding the Form I-907. Those requesting premium processing service should consult with an experienced attorney to ensure that they will both properly submit the application and receive all important communications from the USCIS. Please see our full article to learn about premium processing generally [see article].
In an aside, please note that premium processing for Form I-129 H1B petitions subject to the fiscal year 2019 cap remain suspended as of the publication of this blog post [see article]. The USCIS stated in March 2018 that it expects the suspension to last until September 10, 2018.
