On October 30, 2019 the USCIS announced a proposedrule to increase the premium processing fee. The premium processing fee will be raisedfrom $1,410 to $1,440. The fee increasewill go into effect on December 2, 2019.
Premium processing is an optional servicecurrently authorized for certaintypes of cases, notably filing an H-1B or an I-140. The system allowspetitioners to request 15 day processing of these cases if they pay an extrafee. The premium processing fee is paid in addition to the base filing fee andany other applicable fees.
The USCIS is almost entirely funded by thefees paid by applicants and petitioners for immigration benefits. The USCIS indicates this increase of thepremium processing fee reflects the full amount of inflation from theimplementation of the premium processing fee in June 2001 through August 2019based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U).