The American Immigration Lawyers Association has sent out an alert that O and P petitions are currently taking approximately eight to ten weeks to be processed, which is much longer than the Vermont and California Service Centers’ online processing timeframe of two weeks. Further delays have been noted on first time O-1s. This does not include additional processing time if an RFE is issued. Understandably, this can cause significant problems in the sports and entertainment industries as well as other businesses. If the beneficiary’s services are needed promptly, you are urged to file under premium processing by filing Form I-907 and paying the $1,225 filing fee. This will yield a response by USCIS within 15 days. If you wish to avoid the need for premium processing, you can file an O or P petition up to one year before the actual need for the beneficiary’s services.