Yes. Its still a long waiting period. Delayed USCIS processing times for H-4 applications will still mean that many individuals with pending H-4 applications will not be able to work past their I-94 expirations even if the automatic EAD extension timeline advances past that timeline. If you leave the country and want to reenter you must have a valid passport and H-4 nonimmigrant visa (or another travel document) with you. File it now, and it will be approved before premium processing is implemented. Every application we adjudicate represents the hopes and dreams of immigrants and their families, as well as their critical immediate needs such as financial stability and humanitarian protection.. See link on Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/30/2022-06742/implementation-of-the-emergency-stopgap-uscis-stabilization-act, Looks like H4 premium will not start until FY2025 in this link. Will having EAD cards or petition approvals with gaps in the start and Citizenship and Immigration Services is announcing a trio of efforts to increase efficiency and reduce burdens to the overall legal immigration system. This move marks a resumption of USCIS' prior practice that the Trump Administration upended in March 2019. Request a confidential consultation today. I fear my wife is going to lose her job since EAD expires end of October. Pay one Premium fee for H1B, H4, EAD by filing together? After that, I could file concurrently for H1B, H4 extension and H4 EAD in premium processing per the new policy. 2. The text of the rule is not yet available. Thursday, July 8, 2021. They have a thorough knowledge of the H-1B process and this new EAD rule. Signed by President on 1st October. This means that once your H-1B spouse needs to renew his or her visa, you would need to also renew your H-4 and EAD to extend the validity period. H4 EAD is eligible for 540-day auto-extension if their H4 i94 is also valid for those 540 days. H4 EAD Premium Processing And 2022 Visa Application Guide As an internal management metric, cycle times are generally comparable to the agencys publicly posted median processing times. Fifteen days to get EAD card. If the h4 biometric requirement is not removed, we suspect the delays will still be there. The requirements explicitly state that to be eligible for an H-4 EAD the H-1B spouse must have an approved Form I-140. This is much better than filing court litigations or losing a job. The only way to get employment authorization, in this case, is to already have H-4 status. How to Apply H1B after 6 Years to Recapture Unused Time, US Visa Stamping within USA News: Pilot Program for H1B Renewal. Thank you so much for the explanations! H4 EAD Application processing time for applying for approval (without RFE) usually takes 30-90 days from the date of receipt. H4 EAD Ultimate Guide & Latest News (March 2023) - India USA Travel Processing time 15 to 45 days. H4 EAD Premium Processing - Not Available Until 2025 (Sad News Any update on it ? It is not advisable to file more than 180 days before this date. Improving Access to Employment Authorization Documents, USCIS continues to make progress toward a temporary final rule currently named Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Renewal Applicants.. h1b filing fees uscis - Changing-stories.org However, there are stipulations to the rule that must be taken into consideration when applying. Its best practice to respond as early as possible and discuss it with your immigration attorney. You will also need to submit to a biometrics appointment (fingerprints), which will cost $85, bringing the total H-4 EAD cost to $495. Is Premium Processing Available For H4? - Caniry https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-06742.pdf?fbclid=IwAR008lEOSrtS-hIGENKHT6GfB3Hs381SojHMGvKb9ECyuntimbiGPYSlfXw, There is some update, looks like meeting is scheduled for 02/09/2022 for implementation of this bill. USCIS will consider expediting requests for people who work in cultural or religious nonprofit roles, people who work for or in the interest of the U.S. government, and people who are critical, key workers in their workplace. H4 EAD: What You Need to Know in 2022 - Ashoori Law Under normal circumstances, your H-4 EAD validity period would be granted for as long as you had H-4 status. Updated: Settlement Changes USCIS Recognition Of Work - Mondaq Starting January 25, 2023, USCIS will once again adjudicate H-4/L-2 EADs and Changes/Extensions of Status filed at the same time as H-1B/L-1 Petitions filed with Premium Processing. Employment authorization is incorporated into the visa itself, even for spouses. H4 EAD VISA NEWS - The Economic Times We will update here if new information is made available for this. Unfortunately, H4 and H4 EAD Premium Processing will not be part of the initial rollout in FY 2022. So youll like to have around 1 year for H4 EAD to be approved. Effective May 17, 2021, U.S. Update I94 on already applied H4EAD - H4 Visa - RedBus2US Community At present, there is no option for H4 EAD extension premium processing. You would need to get an immigrant visa through a family member or employer to be eligible to receive lawful permanent residency. The first and most viable solution is to obtain a work visa yourself. You can raise a request after 75 days to get the latest update. The fee for H4 EAD cannot exceed $1,500 USD as per Congress. The fee for H4 COS, extensions cannot exceed $1,750 USD as per Congress. H4-EAD Premium Processing Time - TaxUni When someone comes to the United States to work in a specialty occupation with an H1B visa, they have the ability to bring their spouse with them on an H-4 visa. The premium processing fee for current eligible categories such as H1B, L1, I-140 and other categories will be increased to $2,500 USD from $1440 USD. that, as long as you are still eligible for employment under the H-4 visa (meaning that your H-1B spouse still has an I-140 petition approved with the USCIS), then you can file a new I-765 form within 180 days of your EADs expiration. A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The H4 EAD application is filed with USCIS. However, you should consult an immigration attorney before making any decisions to avoid falling into any legal situations that could jeopardize your status. As of now, we do not have the text published for the same. Can you please clarify about the latest news that being circulated on Twitter regarding h4 ead premium processing? Once approved, the B2 visitor visa extension should be processed in under 30 days. This is because the USCIS could potentially send a request for additional information or a Notice of Intent to Deny. However, the H-4 EAD premium processing will decrease the wait time to just 30 days! United States: Regulation To Expand USCIS Premium Processing Program The VisaNation Law Group attorneys have helped countless individuals obtain employment authorization documents so they can confidently live and work in the United States. The job you are filling must be permanent and not seasonal. any updates after the new govt is in power now? Cycle times are what the operational divisions of USCIS use to gauge how much progress the agency is, or is not, making on reducing our backlog and overall case processing times. I recently renewed my green card EAD; the first EAD card expired on 04/2019. You will need a physical card per I9 compliance to work. USCIS Not Using Workforce Effectively, H4 and L2 Spouses Claim The good news is that USCIS has just released an updated H4 EAD processing time. However, since then both the cases havent moved any further. The USCIS provided a 540-day auto-extension based on the renewal application. Legal services are provided by VisaNation Law Group PLLC, a Florida professional limited liability company. The premium processing fee for all I-765 applications and most I-539 applications will be no higher than $1,750, and the processing timeframe will not exceed 30 days. There are two requirements, and H-4 dependents need to satisfy at least one of them to qualify for an H-4 EAD application. If your spouse has an approved I-140 filed with the USCIS (which they will need if you are to qualify for an EAD), then you can wait until your spouse obtains their green card so that they can sponsor you for an F2A green card. After that, both you and your spouse will be considered out of status and your EAD will be invalid. H4 EAD Premium Processing News - Planned for FY 2025, Fee $1500 The agency received 398,267 petitions for initial and continuing employment, or renewals, during the period. Is my understanding right. How Early Can I File My H-4 and H-4 EAD Renewals? The bill included provisions for extensions, changes of status, and work authorization. You will see the status say, sent for printing. This long-awaited change is a relief for the thousands of H-4 holders who will be eligible for the benefits of employment. To work in the US, you must first apply for an employment authorization document (EAD). After a long wait, finally, on March 30th, 2022, DHS. COMPLETE guide to H4 EAD Extensions during COVID-19 [2022] - Stilt Blog Processing Times Its best to get the advice of an experienced immigration attorney before you attempt to seek employment outside of the country. The requirements are as follows: The H-1B visa holder must have an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, or be in the process of getting this form approved. Premium processing benefits have been extended to other forms. You should be able to upgrade your existing pending H4 and H4 EAD applications to premium once the USCIS starts accepting them. To qualify for an EB-3, you must either have a bachelors degree or otherwise be a skilled or unskilled worker. One of the biggest advantages of gaining employment authorization through your H-4 status is having unrestricted work authorization which means you are not limited to a specific employer and can even consider self-employment. DHS hopes to have H-4 EAD premium processing available by the year 2025. H-4 EAD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Adhikari Law PLLC Change US Consulate interview location on DS-160 after Submission? N-400: Application for Naturalization; Useful Info. AM22Tech - H4 EAD premium processing coming soon - Facebook You can see a line-by-line breakdown of the individual components of this in the chart further down. This temporary increase in the auto-extension period will end on Oct 26, 2023. Once approved, the EAD will be processed in under 30 days. The premium processing time for H4 visa using Form I-539 will be 30 Days. Processing time 15 to 45 days. When will this good news go into effect? Request H1B premium processing - You will get all 3 approvals within 15 calendar days. Hi, as of 2022/3/8, is this proposal at stage 4 or stage 8? The company you hold a contract with might be able to refer you to a U.S.-based tax attorney with experience working for the company. Premium processing only applies to certain forms. In some cases, in lieu of H-4 EAD premium processing, the USCIS may grant an accelerated processing time for your petition under extreme circumstances. Once H1/H4 are approved and then new I94 dates are posted on H1/H4, then you will have a 180-day automatic extension on the current H4 EAD. As of now waiting for Perm, will file I140 in premium. What are my chances of getting these approved at the earliest as my EAD expires on 10/10? While being able to bring a spouse over to live with you during your H-1B stint is a great benefit of the visa, having that spouse be able to earn an income can be vital to the success of your endeavors in the country. An Alternative to Premium Processing: Submit an Expedite . Any idea when OMB will process this request. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. . Internally, USCIS monitors the number of pending cases in the agencys workload through a metric called cycle times. A cycle time measures how many months worth of pending cases for a particular form are awaiting a decision. The premium processing time for H4 COS, extensions cannot exceed 30 days, Premium processing clock for H4 extensions and COS will start only after the pre-requisites are met. Select your form, form category, and the office that is processing your case. This website is not intended to provide legal advice, and therefore, does not invite or create an attorney-client relationship. Implementation of the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act Unfortunately, premium processing is not available for Form I-765. The H-4 EAD timeline begins with the acquisition of the H-1B visa on behalf of your spouse. Listen to both of them and make sure that your approach to investment would legally be seen as personal rather than professional. To reduce the agencys pending caseload, USCIS is establishing new internal cycle time goals this month. USCIS to Reinstate Policy Allowing Concurrent Approval of H-1B and H-4 It is unclear whether the H4 biometric requirement is going away. Any situations not addressed below should be addressed with a, Fortunately, this is not a one-time opportunity. USCIS processing times for L2 EAD (Employment Authorization Document) . If you have not requested premium processing service, you can call 800-375-5283 for general information about the program. USCIS has shared a new term called cycle time. Dropbox ? These are just some questions that may or may not appear in your interview. These are their internal goals which are quite ambitious given the current pathetic situation. If renewal applicants cannot file more than 6 months in advance, but processing times exceed 6 months, a gap in employment authorization will result. Thanks. USCIS will consider requests to expedite the processing of certain documents if the circumstances are severe. How long have you and your spouse been married? Hello Anil, firstly thanks for posting great information. Processing times vary from center to center, but H-4 EAD usually takes a while to process.