u/fayeshar1123

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to decide whether I should pay for Premium Processing, and I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with a similar timeline.

My timeline:

• 2/17/2026 - Filed STEM OPT (Form I-765, IOE receipt)
• 2/18/2026 - Initial OPT EAD expired (working under the 180-day automatic extension)
• 6/5/2026 - USCIS issued an RFE
• 6/15/2026 - USCIS received my RFE response (my online account shows isRespondedTo = true and latestResponseDate = 6/15)
• No updates since then.

The case is being handled by Texas Service Center (although it’s an IOE receipt).

My automatic extension ends around August 17, so I’m starting to get nervous.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone else responded to a STEM OPT RFE around June 15 (especially Texas/IOE)?
   • If so, have you been approved yet?
   • How long did it take after USCIS received your RFE response?
2. If you upgraded to Premium Processing after responding to an RFE, how long did it take to get a decision?
3. I’m worried that if I file Premium Processing now, USCIS might simply wait until the end of the 30-business-day window before taking action.
   • Has anyone actually experienced that?
   • Or do they usually continue processing as soon as an officer reviews the case?

Any recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!