India, Oct. 25 -- US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun approving some H-1B petitions filed without the additional $100,000 payment, according to immigration law firm Meltzer Hellrung, which said the cases had remained pending beyond the premium processing timeframe.

According to the report, approvals were beginning to come through after employers filed petitions in reliance on federal court orders blocking enforcement of the payment. The development could offer relief to employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers, including candidates who are currently outside the US.

However, the approvals do not mean the legal dispute over the fee has ended. The government has appealed court rulings blocking its implementat...