diff --git a/java.source/apichanges.xml b/java.source/apichanges.xml
--- a/java.source/apichanges.xml
+++ b/java.source/apichanges.xml
@@ -108,6 +108,19 @@
     <!-- ACTUAL CHANGES BEGIN HERE: -->
 
     <changes>
+        <change id="elementhandle-create">
+             <api name="general"/>
+             <summary>Added factory methods to create an <code>ElementHandle</code> for type and package.</summary>
+             <version major="0" minor="98"/>
+             <date day="12" month="3" year="2012"/>
+             <author login="tzezula"/>
+             <compatibility addition="yes" binary="compatible" deletion="no" deprecation="no" modification="no" semantic="compatible" source="compatible"/>
+             <description>
+                 Added a factory methods to create an <code>ElementHandle</code> for type and package from binary name.
+             </description>
+             <class package="org.netbeans.api.java.source" name="ElementHandle"/>
+             <issue number="209082"/>
+        </change>
         <change id="class-members-order">
              <api name="general"/>
              <summary>Added several methods to <code>CodeStyle</code> supporting customization of the generated class members order and other minor formatting enhancements.</summary>
diff --git a/java.source/nbproject/project.properties b/java.source/nbproject/project.properties
--- a/java.source/nbproject/project.properties
+++ b/java.source/nbproject/project.properties
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 javadoc.title=Java Source
 javadoc.arch=${basedir}/arch.xml
 javadoc.apichanges=${basedir}/apichanges.xml
-spec.version.base=0.96.0
+spec.version.base=0.98.0
 test.qa-functional.cp.extra=${refactoring.java.dir}/modules/ext/javac-api-nb-7.0-b07.jar
 test.unit.run.cp.extra=${o.n.core.dir}/core/core.jar:\
     ${o.n.core.dir}/lib/boot.jar:\
diff --git a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java b/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java
--- a/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java
+++ b/java.source/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandle.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
     private final String[] signatures;
         
        
-    private ElementHandle(final ElementKind kind, String[] signatures) {
+    private ElementHandle(final ElementKind kind, String... signatures) {
         assert kind != null;
         assert signatures != null;
         this.kind = kind;
@@ -389,6 +389,41 @@
 
         return (ElementHandle<T>) NORMALIZATION_CACHE.putIfAbsent(eh);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Creates an {@link ElementHandle} representing a {@link PackageElement}.
+     * @param packageName the name of the package
+     * @return the created {@link ElementHandle}
+     * @since 0.98
+     */
+    @NonNull
+    public static ElementHandle<PackageElement> createPackageElementHandle (
+        @NonNull final String packageName) {
+        Parameters.notNull("packageName", packageName); //NOI18N
+        return new ElementHandle<PackageElement>(ElementKind.PACKAGE, packageName);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Creates an {@link ElementHandle} representing a {@link TypeElement}.
+     * @param kind the {@link ElementKind} of the {@link TypeElement},
+     * allowed values are {@link ElementKind#CLASS}, {@link ElementKind#INTERFACE},
+     * {@link ElementKind#ENUM} and {@link ElementKind#ANNOTATION_TYPE}.
+     * @param binaryName the class binary name as specified by JLS §13.1
+     * @return the created {@link ElementHandle}
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if kind is neither class nor interface
+     * @since 0.98
+     */
+    @NonNull
+    public static ElementHandle<TypeElement> createTypeElementHandle(
+        @NonNull final ElementKind kind,
+        @NonNull final String binaryName) throws IllegalArgumentException {
+        Parameters.notNull("kind", kind);   //NOI18N
+        Parameters.notNull("binaryName", binaryName);   //NOI18N
+        if (!kind.isClass() && !kind.isInterface()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(kind.toString());
+        }
+        return new ElementHandle<TypeElement>(kind, binaryName);
+    }
 
     private static @NonNull <T extends Element> ElementHandle<T> createImpl (@NonNull final T element) throws IllegalArgumentException {
         Parameters.notNull("element", element);
diff --git a/java.source/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandleTest.java b/java.source/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandleTest.java
--- a/java.source/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandleTest.java
+++ b/java.source/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/java/source/ElementHandleTest.java
@@ -51,13 +51,17 @@
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import javax.lang.model.type.DeclaredType;
 import javax.lang.model.type.TypeKind;
 import junit.framework.*;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 import javax.lang.model.element.Element;
 import javax.lang.model.element.ElementKind;
 import javax.lang.model.element.ExecutableElement;
+import javax.lang.model.element.PackageElement;
 import javax.lang.model.element.TypeElement;
 import javax.lang.model.element.TypeParameterElement;
 import javax.lang.model.element.VariableElement;
@@ -419,6 +423,34 @@
     }
     
     
+    public void testCreatePackageElementHandle() {
+        final ElementHandle<PackageElement> eh = ElementHandle.createPackageElementHandle("org.me");    //NOI18N
+        assertEquals(ElementKind.PACKAGE, eh.getKind());
+    }
+    
+    
+    public void testCreateTypeElementHandle() {
+        final Set<ElementKind> allowed = new HashSet<ElementKind>(Arrays.asList(new ElementKind[]{
+            ElementKind.CLASS,
+            ElementKind.INTERFACE,
+            ElementKind.ENUM,
+            ElementKind.ANNOTATION_TYPE
+        }));
+        for (ElementKind aek : allowed) {
+            ElementHandle<TypeElement> eh = ElementHandle.createTypeElementHandle(aek, "org.me.Foo");    //NOI18N
+            assertEquals(aek, eh.getKind());
+        }
+        for (ElementKind aek : ElementKind.values()) {
+            if (!allowed.contains(aek)) {
+                try {
+                    ElementHandle<TypeElement> eh = ElementHandle.createTypeElementHandle(aek, "org.me.Foo");    //NOI18N
+                    assertTrue(false);
+                }catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
     public void testEquals() throws Exception {
         final JavaSource js = JavaSource.create(ClasspathInfo.create(ClassPathProviderImpl.getDefault().findClassPath(data,ClassPath.BOOT), ClassPathProviderImpl.getDefault().findClassPath(data, ClassPath.COMPILE), null));
         assertNotNull(js);