Lippes Mathias partner and co-leader of the firm's Immigration Practice, Andrew Wilson was quoted in SHRM newsletter about the processing of I-765 applications for initial OPT and the 24-month STEM OPT has been slow and, in some cases, applicants have had to stop working while waiting for an OPT approval.

"Looking at the bigger picture, this is another step in the right direction for USCIS in modernizing its processes," Wilson said. "The Department of Labor does a great job with online processing of prevailing wage determinations, LCAs and PERM applications. USCIS's current online filing options are still pretty limited."