On March 1^st, 2017, we received another EB-1B (Outstanding Professors and Researchers) approval for an Associate Research Scientist in the Field of Molecular Genetics (Approval Notice).

General Field: Molecular Genetics

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Associate Research Scientist

Country of Origin: India

Service Center: Nebraska Service Center (NSC)

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: New York

Approval Notice Date: March 1^st, 2017

Processing Time: 84 Days (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)

Case Summary:

With 8 scientific articles and 2 book chapters in the bag, along with extensive experience in the field of molecular genetics, an associate research scientist from India confidently approached North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) for help to obtain a green card. There are two steps in the green card process: filing an I-140 petition and an I-485 application. In this case, our client wanted to file his I-140 under the EB-1B (Outstanding Professors and Researchers) category, a subcategory of priority worker.

Before countersigning the retainer agreement, we went through his credentials to be sure that he qualified for EB-1B. In a nutshell, we had to confirm that he showed international recognition in his field of molecular genetics, had at least three years of experience in teaching or research, and had an offer of ongoing employment from a sponsoring employer. In this case, our client’s employer (an American university) was willing to petition on his behalf.

In preparing our client’s EB1B petition, we made sure to include data on his published works, the 99 citations gathered from his publications, and the 45 times he had assessed the work of his peers. We also emphasized his work on the impact that various epigenetic factors have on the overall health and brain development of babies.

Seeing that our client’s research progresses the work of other experts in the field, we urged him to contact a handful of them and ask for recommendation letters. These letters were used to prove to the USCIS the significance of our client’s research, and according to one of these recommenders: “His experience, insight, and willingness to expand upon existing studies show his top-of-the-field talent as a molecular genetics researcher. I recommend retaining his services in our country without delay, as his past work is surely a harbinger of continued relevant research.”

After months of planning our legal strategy, we successfully demonstrated to the USCIS that our client’s findings further our understanding of what impact a mother’s diet, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental factors have on her child, before, during, and after her pregnancy. We are pleased that our client obtained EB1B petition approval, and we thank him for retaining our I-485 services. We join him and his spouse as they wait for the USCIS to take action on their applications, and assuming their applications are approved, they will become American permanent residents.