We’re just about to send our 130 Petition. My husband is in active duty military. We want to expedite the process as he will be leaving for his next duty station in the U.S. on December. Do we need to put the expedite letter in the petition package when we send it, or wait for the NVC number and then email them the expedite request?
First and foremost, if you’re going to request to expedite, you have to have a valid reason. One reason is that you’re a U.S. service member who will deploy or transfer to a new duty station with little or no notice. USCIS can also grant expedited process for the following reasons:
- Severe financial loss to a company or person, provided that the need for urgent action is not the result of the petitioner’s or applicant’s failure to:
- File the benefit request or the expedite request in a reasonable time frame, or
- Respond to any requests for additional evidence in a reasonably timely manner;
- Urgent humanitarian reasons;
- Compelling U.S. government interests (such as urgent cases for the Department of Defense or DHS, or other public safety or national security interests); or
- Clear USCIS error.
However, it’s important to note that USCIS considers all expedite requests on a case-by-case basis and requires documentation to support a request. Even if you fall into a category that qualifies for an expedited process, you are not guaranteed to receive it.
To request an expedited process after you received your receipt, you can contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 (TTY for the deaf, hard of hearing, or those having a speech disability: 1-800-767-1833).
