Fast-Track Processing Back on for H-1Bs Submitted in Lottery (1)

Fast-track processing for H-1B skilled guestworker visas is back on for those visa petitions that were part of last year’s lottery.

The option for “premium processing” allows employers to pay an extra fee to have their visa petitions decided within 15 calendar days. But premium processing hasn’t been available for close to a year, and workers who were slated to start Oct. 1 already are months behind schedule.

The fast-track option still isn’t available for all H-1B visa petitions, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Jan. 25. It will be expanded “as workloads permit,” the agency said.

The announcement is ...