Case Summary:

The EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) arguably has the most rigorous selection process, due to which it can be a difficult territory to charter for any applicant. Given the strictures of USCIS, we try to maintain a very intensive background routine for any client who wishes to file for an EB-1A with us. We try to establish that their work is of national importance to the U.S. and that they will continue to work in their proposed field of endeavor. In July of 2021, we received a client’s request to help him file an EB-1A petition. So, we undertook to compile his petition packet by first looking at his previous experience in academics and in the professional arena. We found that he held a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering and was currently working as a Scientist in the broad field of materials science. We were also able to gather information regarding his publication, citations, and peer review experiences in the past years. We then included this information in his application.

We said that he has spent years investigating issues related to developing novel methods for unconventional shale characterization and is regarded as an authority in the field. The field has recognized his authority by inviting him to review and evaluate the work of his peers no fewer than 36 times. Among the journals that have sought out his expertise and insight are Biomaterials, which has an impact factor of 10.317 and is ranked #1 in Biomedical Technology by Google Scholar, and 1 highly acclaimed journal which is ranked #1 in Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas by Google Scholar.

He has actively engaged his peers in the field of materials science by authoring and co-authoring 20 peer-reviewed articles that have been published or accepted in international journals. Due to its great applicability in the field, his research in the field has been cited 693 times in other peer-reviewed journal articles according to Google Scholar. This places him in the top 1% of most highly cited authors publishing on topics in materials science over the past 10 years according to Microsoft Academic.

He was also able to obtain letters of recommendation from experts in the field which we attached to his petition. One of them had the following to say about his work:

“[The client] is an exemplary member of the materials science discipline whose review work, published research, and international reach have firmly established him as a prominent figure in the field. No other researcher is able to claim his unique achievements and it is apparent that [the client’s] further studies are actively progressing internationally vital areas of research.”

We are grateful to him for his long-standing trust in us and for allowing us to represent him in his EB-1A, NIW, as well as his I-129 O1A, and O3 applications.