U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun issuing its first receipts to H-1B petitioners only one day after it announced that it had conducted lotteries to select the cap-subject petitions it will consider. This morning, a limited number of employers received premium processing receipts from the California Service Center and the Vermont Service Center.

USCIS has not released a schedule for premium processing. The agency previously projected that premium processing might not start until April 28.

BAL Analysis: The earlier-than-expected receipts for a handful of premium processing cases is good news for employers anxiously awaiting word on cap cases filed. However, it is unclear if this will reflect an accelerated schedule for all receipts or not.

Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.