An expedite request asks USCIS to decide a pending case sooner than it otherwise would. USCIS lists five kinds of circumstances it may consider: severe financial loss, an emergency or urgent humanitarian situation, a request from an IRS-designated nonprofit, government interests, and clear USCIS error. USCIS also says the decision to expedite is within its sole discretion, so a listed circumstance is something USCIS may weigh, not a promise of a yes.
What an expedite request is
An expedite request is a separate ask, made while a case is pending, that USCIS look at the case sooner. USCIS says that expediting a case "generally means that we would adjudicate your benefit ahead of others, including those who may have filed earlier." The USCIS Policy Manual describes the power this way: "USCIS may expedite adjudication of an application, petition, request, appeal, or motion at its discretion."
That wording matters. You are not claiming a right. You are giving USCIS reasons and evidence and asking it to use a discretion it already has.
The criteria USCIS lists today
The USCIS expedite page says: "Relevant criteria or circumstances that may be considered in determining whether to grant an expedite request include, but are not limited to, the below:" The five items follow, word for word as the page words them.
- "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 timely file the benefit request or to timely respond to any requests for evidence;"
- "Emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations;"
- "Nonprofit organization (as designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)) whose request is in furtherance of the cultural or social interests of the United States;"
- "Government interests, including cases identified by the government as urgent because they involve the public interest, public safety, national interest, or national security interests; and"
- "Clear USCIS error."
The page adds: "Not every circumstance that fits under the criteria or examples above will result in expedited processing."
Because the list says "include, but are not limited to," a circumstance that is not on it is not automatically excluded, and a circumstance that is on it is not automatically accepted. Only USCIS decides.
How to ask
USCIS says: "For most cases, you may request an expedite by contacting the USCIS Contact Center or by asking Emma." The page says Emma can be reached through the Ask Emma icon on the USCIS site. The words "for most cases" are USCIS's, and they signal that some case types follow a different route, and the page lists separate procedures for adoption, appeals or motions, asylum, refugee status, refugee or asylee relative petitions, humanitarian parole, T and U nonimmigrant status, and benefit requests pending with offices outside the United States. If your case is one of those, read the Specific Procedures section of the expedite page first.
If you have a USCIS online account with secure messaging, the page says you may select "expedite" as the reason for your inquiry and submit your request there. The page also says that to reach the Contact Center you generally need to provide your receipt number, and that you need to explain why you need expedited processing. Our guide to checking your case status explains how the online account fits in.
Evidence matters
USCIS states: "You generally need to justify your expedite request with evidence." The Policy Manual makes a similar point, saying USCIS "generally requires documentation to support such requests." In plain words: say why your situation matches a listed circumstance, and attach proof of it. A statement with no documents behind it is the weaker version of the same request.
What counts as good proof depends on the circumstance. An attorney who knows your case, or the USCIS expedite page itself, is a better guide to that than a general article. If you are unsure whether your situation fits, a licensed immigration attorney can look at the facts.
Expedite requests and premium processing are different
Premium processing is a separate paid service that USCIS offers for certain forms. USCIS says: "Premium processing provides expedited processing for the following forms:" Form I-129, Form I-140, Form I-765, and Form I-539. Which classifications of each form are eligible is listed on the USCIS premium processing page. Our premium processing tool and the article on how the premium processing clock works cover that service. The expedite page also says USCIS will not consider expedite requests for petitions and applications where premium processing service is available, unless the petitioner is designated as a nonprofit organization by the IRS and is filing for a beneficiary whose services are needed to further the cultural or social interests of the United States. This article is only about the discretionary expedite request.
What you may see after you ask
If your case history ever shows wording about an expedite request, our status pages explain it: expedite request was received, expedite request was approved, and expedite request was denied.
If your case is simply past the normal processing time and none of the listed circumstances applies, there is a different set of tools. See what to do when your case is outside normal processing time, and the official USCIS processing times tool.
Common questions
If I meet one of the criteria, will USCIS expedite my case?
Not necessarily. USCIS says: "The decision to expedite is within the sole discretion of USCIS." It also says: "Not every circumstance that fits under the criteria or examples above will result in expedited processing."
Do I have to send evidence?
USCIS says you "generally need to justify your expedite request with evidence." The Policy Manual also says USCIS "generally requires documentation to support such requests."
Where do I make the request?
For most cases, through the USCIS Contact Center or by asking Emma. If you have a USCIS online account with secure messaging, you may select "expedite" as the reason for your inquiry there. Some case types use a different route, so check the official page.
Is a long wait by itself on the list?
A long wait is not one of the five items on the page's list. The list says it is not limited to those items, but USCIS decides what it will consider. The expedite page itself suggests you check current case processing times before you ask, and the USCIS processing times tool is linked below.
Official sources
- USCIS: Expedite Requests
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part A, Chapter 5
- USCIS: How Do I Request Premium Processing?
- USCIS: Check Case Processing Times
GreenLight is not affiliated with USCIS or the U.S. government. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.