After many months of advocacy, NOSSCR is pleased to share that Fee Petitions were added to the list of document types available for upload via ERE/ARS as of April 17, 2023.

While representatives have access to the eFolder after case closure, they are not able to upload documents directly from the eFolder using “Upload New File” after case closure. At case closure the cases are routed internally to sites that are not enabled for ERE uploads (i.e., Field Offices, Payment Centers).

Therefore, in order to utilize this enhancement and submit a fee petition electronically after a decision is issued, representatives should request a barcode and upload the fee petition by using “Send Individual Response” within ERE/ARS. The barcode contains the information necessary to route the case to the correct eFolder and notify the appropriate hearing office that the document has been received into the eFolder. This will provide for easier verification of submissions and is an early step in the creation of tracking systems.

NOSSCR continues to advocate for improvements to ERE/ARS to help streamline processes and reduce delays in the authorization of fee petitions at OHO, which we have recently made significant progress on.