Case Summary:

“[Client’s] research is crucial to the development of better treatments for HIV that avoid the toxicity traditionally associated with ART. ART is a highly successful treatment for HIV, but it is known to have negative effects on patient’s health and is susceptible to failure. [Client’s] research has shed light on the development of organ-specific toxicity in ART patients. These insights are crucial to the development of new treatments and strategies to mitigate the adverse of ART. As such, [client’s] research is beneficial to the health of millions of HIV/AIDS patients worldwide.”

“Antimicrobial drugs, such as those [the client] has helped to develop, are extremely important because they are used to treat a variety of infections, including biotic infections, fungal infections, and viral infections. Given the current global health crisis of COVID-19, as well as other relevant viral epidemics such as HIV, [client’s] research into antimicrobial medicines derived from plant-based dirigent proteins is of the most pressing importance.”

These are two small passages that indicate how important the work of a client who came to us seeking help with his NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition, was for the world. Hailing from Sri Lanka, with a Ph.D. in chemistry and a proposed endeavor to continue his research on the metabolism and disposition of anti-HIV drugs to optimize the effectiveness of HIV therapies and reduce adverse side effects such as neurodegeneration, his work in the field of pharmacology was truly meritorious.

Since we had already done a thorough background check, our team started working on his petition immediately, which meant collecting data on his academic and professional background. We found that throughout his time working in the field, he has built an impressive record of publication. As evidence of his contributions, his work has resulted in 5 peer-reviewed journal articles (3 of them first-authored) and 5 peer-reviewed conference abstracts/proceedings (4 of them first-authored). At the same time, his work has also gone on to influence his peers. That is, these publications have been cited a total of 49 times according to Google Scholar, thereby demonstrating that these publications are widely recognized and relied upon in the field of pharmacology. On the other hand, he has already been invited to review the work of his peers 2 times to date. Given that only experts in the field are called on to perform this work, his position in the field is recognized both by his peers and national agencies which have funded his work several times in the past.

We were able to find that his work had in fact been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Thus demonstrating by the above evidence, that his proposed endeavor also has national importance.

All of this information put together made for an impressive petition finally getting approved by the adjudication panel at USCIS. We are glad to have been a part of his NIW approval journey.