How does the USPTO process international applications for preliminary examination?

This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.

The USPTO follows a specific process for handling international applications for preliminary examination:

1. The PCT International Application Processing Division processes the documents and fees filed with a complete demand.
2. Once processing is complete, the international application is docketed to an examiner in the appropriate Technology Center for examination.

This process ensures that all necessary paperwork and payments are in order before the application moves forward to the examination stage.