USCIS will temporarily suspendpremium processing for all FY 2019 cap-subject petitions, including petitionsseeking an exemption for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.This suspension is expected to last until Sept. 10, 2018.
During this time, USCIS willcontinue to accept premium processing requests for H-1B petitions that are notsubject to the FY 2019 cap.
USCIS’ press release says that thistemporary suspension will help them reduce overall H-1B processing times inthese ways:
-Processlong-pending petitions, which we have currently been unable to process due tothe high volume of incoming petitions and the significant surge in premiumprocessing requests over the past few years; and
-Prioritizeadjudication of H-1B extension of status cases that are nearing the 240 daymark.
Starting April 2, 2018, USCIS willbegin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 cap. The H-1b cap is expected to be reached duringthe first week in April.