Is H-1B Premium Processing Slowing Down?

When you pay premium, you expect speed. But sometimes even the “fast track” gets clogged.

A recent example has left many Indian professionals in the United States quietly reloading their inboxes. One of them had his H-1B transfer application submitted under premium processing on Friday, May 2—today is May 7, and still no receipt notice.

The law firm (a large one—Fragomen) reported it was filed online. The hope? A receipt notice in 2 to 4 days.

But today is already the fifth day. And nothing so far. Not even the I-797C receipt, just to breathe easy, much less to give notice to the current employer.

Here’s the twist: even premium processing doesn’t start until the receipt is issued. So technically, the 15-day countdown has not even started. That’s what’s causing concern.

Individuals have started wondering—is it a system glitch? Is USCIS slow currently? Or is this just how things stand if submitted online?

These delays aren’t new. But they weren’t as run-of-the-mill earlier, especially with premium. The trend appears to be reversing now.

And that’s the real issue. With money and organization, you can’t be sure. That’s hard when jobs, relocations, and paychecks depend and are hanging on getting one piece of paperwork in on time.

There is a strange kind of stress that is only familiar to visa holders. You do everything the rules say—and yet, you’re in a waiting area with no feedback.

Maybe it’s time the system acknowledged the way this waiting game affects real lives, especially when people are in limbo between two jobs. A receipt notice is more than a form—it’s permission to go ahead.