Form I-539 Is No Longer Eligible For “Courtesy” Premium Processing

Last Updated on February 23, 2023

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has indicated that will no longer offer courtesy premium processing to I-539 applications that are filed jointly with an I-129 petition. An I-539 petition is the petition used to extend the status of H-4 and L-2 dependents, among other visa types.

I-539 applicants are instead separated from an I-129 petition. As a result, I-539 applications will not be eligible for premium processing.

This change comes after USCIS revised form I-539 and published the new form I-539A. USCIS stated it can no longer offer its courtesy premium processing service I-539 applications because of the addition of biometric requirements for all I-539 applicants.

It generally takes three weeks to complete I-539 biometrics, which means it would be difficult for USCIS to meet the premium processing’s 15 day guarantee.

What Do I Need To Know?

Be aware that I-539 applications may now take longer to adjudicate than the I-129 petition. You can view current processing times for form I-539 here.

For additional information, please contact your Envoy-affiliated attorney or another qualified professional.

Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Ryan Bay, who is a Partner at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy’s affiliated law firm.