On February 22^nd, 2017, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Ph.D. candidate in the Field of Analytical Chemistry (Approval Notice).

General Field: Analytical Chemistry

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Ph.D. Candidate

Country of Origin: Iran

Service Center: Nebraska Service Center (NSC)

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Nebraska

Approval Notice Date: February 22^nd, 2017

Processing Time: 10 months, 17 days

Case Summary:

North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) received a request from an Iranian doctoral candidate specializing in analytical chemistry to help him file an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition. We evaluated his credentials to determine his chances of securing petition approval and initiated an attorney-client relationship once we confirmed that he qualified for the national interest waiver. His NIW petition dossier contained the following highlights of his research career:

– Our client had a very impressive publication and citation record which comprised of 35 peer-reviewed journal publications (6 first-authored) that had already garnered 171 citations at the time of filing.

– We noted that his research was centered on the development of analytical techniques for detecting contaminants in food and the environment. A vital breakthrough from his years of in-depth research was the development of new sorbents for use in wastewater treatment and the treatment of food; more specifically, a DNA-based electrochemical sensor for detecting glutathione and electrochemical sensors for detecting nitrate. Undeniably, our client’s research contributes to the advancement of public health in the United States. Moreover, his research efforts regarding the use of electrochemical sensors for detecting nitrate contribute to the United States’ agricultural industry. Our team integrated all this useful information into our client’s NIW dossier which was presented in a very precise manner.

– It has always been our practice to include letters of recommendation from experts to bolster our clients’ petitions. In this case, our client managed to obtain 4 recommendation letters from dependent and independent experts who were familiar with his work.

“[Client] is an analytical chemistry researcher whom the United States should retain and cultivate. [Client] has exquisite credentials and is so qualified as to serve as an arbiter of analytical chemistry-related research efforts.”

The quote above was made by one of these recommenders—a prominent professor. His letter and the 3 others included in the petition laid a solid foundation for our client’s NIW petition to secure approval.

After months of hard work from our team, we filed a very concise NIW petition on behalf of our client. Despite waiting over 9 months (4-9 months is the normal adjudication period for I-140 petitions), we still had not heard back from the USCIS. This led us to raise a service request on our client’s behalf and not long after, our client received notification of case approval. Although our client waited a total of 10 months and 17 days for the USCIS to take action on his case, we are pleased that he secured petition approval, and we wish him the best as he continues to carry out his work in the United States.