Due to long processing times, since 2014 companies have been forced to pay $2.4 billion in “premium processing” fees to ensure their business immigration cases are decided within a reasonable time. Critics say U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has no incentive to process cases faster because the more time it takes, the greater the revenue the agency receives in additional premium processing fees.
To understand premium processing, imagine you sat down at a restaurant and saw a large asterisk next to the price of an entrée that costs $20.