USCIS to suspend Premium Processing Service for H-1B visas from April 3

While the H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners wont be able to file Form I-907 which is required for a request for Premium Processing Service. (ANI)

As the legislation to reform the current H-1B and L1 work visas and end its abuse by foreign companies was introduced in the Congress on Saturday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B petitions from April 3 onwards. This suspension could last up to 6 months. While the H-1B premium processing is suspended, petitioners wont be able to file Form I-907 which is required for a request for Premium Processing Service, Form I-129 which is a petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker which requests the H-1B nonimmigrant classification. The announcement was made on the USCIS website earlier today.

A bipartisan group of four US lawmakers introduced the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2017. The group included Congressmen Indian American Ro Khanna, Bill Pascrell, Dave Brat, and Paul Gosar. This bill is in addition to the nearly half a dozen similar legislations pending in the US Congress – either the House of Representatives or the Senate – all of whom seek to close loopholes in the H-1B and L visa programmes to reduce fraud and abuse, provide protections for American workers and visa holders.

Interestingly the latest move from four Congressmen come a day after a NASSCOM delegation concluded its trip to US during which they met a number of US lawmakers to sensitize them about the importance of H-1B and L1 visas. A significant chunk of US political leadership believes that Indian companies are major beneficiaries of this foreign guest worker programme and allege that this resulted in displacement of American workers.

(with inputs from PTI)