The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started approving H-1B visa petitions that were filed without the $100,000 fee, following federal court orders blocking its enforcement, even as several applications remained pending beyond the 15-business-day deadline for premium processing.
The approvals are a relief for employers who filed petitions in reliance on the court orders, though the pace of processing remains uneven, according to immigration law firm Meltzer Hellrung.