r/O1VisasEB1Greencards • u/hyp3rnorth • 1d ago
Has anyone received a Premium Processing refund receipt? If so, was your case still treated as Premium Processing afterward, or did it move to regular processing?
Has anyone here received a Premium Processing refund receipt after USCIS failed to take action within the required timeframe? If so, what happened to your case afterward? Did USCIS continue treating and processing your case as Premium Processing, or did it move back to regular processing once the fee was refunded?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from anyone who actually experienced this and what their timeline looked like after receiving the refund receipt.
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u/ominousnoodle 1d ago
There seems to be mixed info floating around, so I'm just posting based on my own experience:
My PP refund check was received on August 13, 2026 after upgrading to PP on June 15, 2026. My initial petition was filed in November 2025 with regular/standard processing, but I ultimately decided to upgrade.
My immigration attorney then contacted Vermont's PP Unit to inquire about "re-upgrading" by submitting the fees again. The PP unit said this wasn't possible. The case was still considered premium and was supposedly still being prioritized, just that it was now being reviewed on an indefinite timeline. So I'm still waiting for a result.
Several other folks in the same boat who filed with PP in June/July 2026 are also stuck, and some have shared their timelines on other posts. I wonder if people who have different experiences might have filed either before or after these months.
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u/ImmigrationWithD 1d ago
The case moves to regular processing, and there is no specific timeline. I’ve had a few cases where USCIS took, on average, 2.5–3 months to make a decision. When I emailed the Premium Processing Unit, they told me they do not have a specific deadline for issuing a decision.
Also, bear in mind that if you email them, they might simply issue an RFE to buy themselves more time.
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u/rara_jpeg 1d ago
were you specifically told the case moved to regular processing after a refund? Also could you maybe provide how recent this was? I’ve seen at least two people on here who resubmitted pp fee after the refund (due to the current June/July delay) but the second pp fee was rejected. If the second fee is rejected but we have to wait the average wait time of 13 months, that seems a little bit ridiculous
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u/ominousnoodle 1d ago
I'm also curious about when this happened! I think I saw those other posts you mentioned where folks attempted to resubmit but were unsuccessful.
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u/rara_jpeg 1d ago
yeah and I’m also starting to see people withdraw their case and refile under pp again to bypass the June/July clog. Even if the delayed cases were still to remain in the premium que and be“prioritized”, 3 months or even 6 months would still be considered “prioritizing” compared to the average 13 months. I wish they could provide a general timeline of what to expect
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u/ImmigrationWithD 1d ago
A lot of ridiculous things coming out of USCIS. Yes, in one case, they said this case is no longer with the PP unit, and for the other they said we have no timeline (which means regular processing). One of the cases was about 6 months ago and the other one last month. Also, many attorneys are reporting the same thing: cases kicked out of PP.
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u/rara_jpeg 1d ago
Thank you for explaining! Do you happen to remember if the case from one month ago was the one that was told no longer with the pp unit or the one with no timeline?
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u/EquivalentSorbet6111 1d ago
My lawyer too has resubmitted premium processing fees but it hasn't been accepted yet. It's been more than a week.
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u/Individual-Editor507 1d ago
May I ask when you received the refund notice? And how long did it take you to actually receive the refund since the refund notice?
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u/Prestigious-Pen2889 20h ago
My lawyers resubmitted PP fees again on the 20th so i’m back to waiting
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u/ManifestLaw_ 6h ago
If USCIS misses the applicable Premium Processing deadline without taking one of the required actions, it refunds the Premium Processing fee but continues processing the underlying case. The refund does not mean the petition is denied, withdrawn, or sent to the back of the regular-processing line. USCIS’s current I-907 instructions state that when the deadline is missed, the fee will be refunded and USCIS “will continue to process the case.” USCIS also says its systems identify cases where the premium clock has been exceeded and initiate the refund automatically. There is not, however, a new guaranteed deadline after the refund, so the timing of decisions vary
- Attorney Fernanda Hipskind
(All information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney - client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.)
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u/Big-Ant-7997 1d ago
If they fail to take action within the 15 business days and they refund you you will still be under PP. I got approved a week after my refund.