8 I-140 Approvals After RFE on July 31, 2026
A Request for Evidence (RFE) represents one of the most demanding stages of adjudication in the employment-based immigration process. When USCIS issues an RFE, the petition enters a heightened level of review in which the adjudicating officer may seek additional documentation, clarification of the applicant’s qualifications, or a more persuasive explanation connecting the submitted evidence to the applicable immigration standard. Successfully navigating this stage requires an evidentiary record that remains organized, internally consistent, and directly responsive to the concerns raised during adjudication.
The following success stories highlight 8 NIW approvals secured after RFE review. Several petitions underwent multiple transfers between service centers, three proceeded without recommendation or testimonial letters, and one involved an applicant residing outside the United States. The approved cases also reflected considerable variation in scholarly output and supporting-letter evidence, requiring each record to present the applicant’s qualifications and the significance of the proposed work through the evidence available.
Cases With Inherent Challenges
Multiple Service Center Transfers
Four petitions were transferred from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then returned to the Nebraska Service Center before final adjudication. Such procedural movement can add complexity because the petition must remain logically organized, internally consistent, and persuasive as it passes through different service center operations.
Limited or No Supporting Letters
Several petitions proceeded with limited or no recommendation or testimonial letters. In these cases, the adjudication depended more heavily on objective documentation, including the applicants’ academic credentials, publication records, citation impact, professional positions, and evidence demonstrating the continued relevance of their work.
Residing Outside the United States
One approval involved an applicant who was born and residing in China at the time of filing. A petition filed while the applicant remains outside the United States must still clearly establish how the applicant is positioned to advance the proposed work and why those prospective contributions warrant a national interest waiver.
NIW Approvals After RFE (8)
#1: NIW in Computer Science
This NIW approval involved a Visiting Instructor, born in Bangladesh and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as an Operations Data Scientist. Filed in Computer Science, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2097 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 6 publications and 50 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2024. The filing was supported by 4 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was adjudicated through the Texas Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#2: NIW in Materials Science and Engineering
This NIW approval involved a Research Fellow in industry, born in Turkey and residing in the United States, who proposes to become a Materials Scientist in industry. Filed in Materials Science and Engineering, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM1620 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 5 publications and 91 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2024. The filing was supported by 2 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The adjudication involved transfers from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then back to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#3: NIW in Electrical Engineering
This NIW approval involved a Ph.D. student, born in Egypt and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as an Artificial Intelligence and Hardware Security Research Scientist in industry. Filed in Electrical Engineering, the petition received an RFE from the Texas Service Center before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 5 publications and 30 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2022. The petition was supported by 2 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The adjudication involved transfers from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then back to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#4: NIW in Agronomy
This NIW approval involved a Research Faculty - Extension Specialist, born in Nepal and residing in the United States, who proposes to remain in the same role. Filed in Agronomy, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2358 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and established a substantial scholarly record consisting of 17 publications and 238 citations, including peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 3 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The adjudication involved transfers from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then back to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#5: NIW in Bioinformatics
This NIW approval involved a Biostatistician in industry, born and residing in China, who proposes to work as a Research Scientist. Filed in Bioinformatics, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM5089 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a strong scholarly record consisting of 6 publications and 305 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2022. The petition proceeded without any supporting letters.
The filing was adjudicated through the Texas Service Center with upfront premium processing.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review without recommendation or testimonial letters while the applicant was residing outside the United States.
#6: NIW in Machine Learning
This NIW approval involved a Machine Learning Engineer in industry, born in China and residing in the United States, who proposes to remain in the same employment. Filed in Machine Learning, the petition received an RFE from the Texas Service Center before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a developing scholarly record consisting of 3 publications and 88 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The petition proceeded without any supporting letters.
The adjudication involved transfers from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then back to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review without recommendation or testimonial letters while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#7: NIW in Quantum Networking
This NIW approval involved a Research Scholar, born in Morocco and residing in the United States, who proposes to remain in the same employment. Filed in Quantum Networking, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM0460 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 4 publications and 18 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 1 recommendation letter and 3 testimonial letters.
The petition was adjudicated through the Texas Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#8: NIW in Textile Materials Science and Engineering
This NIW approval involved a Ph.D. student, born in Bangladesh and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as an Assistant Professor. Filed in Textile Materials Science and Engineering, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2055 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 9 publications and 65 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The petition proceeded without any supporting letters.
The filing was adjudicated through the Texas Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval after RFE review without recommendation or testimonial letters.
The key to our success is the way in which we present supporting evidence and provide the highest quality petition letters. With over 64,000 I-140 EB-1 ( EB-1A Alien of Extraordinary Ability; EB-1B Outstanding Researcher or Professor), EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) and O-1 approvals, our firm has acquired substantial information about USCIS decisions, which gives us significant advantage over firms that only handle a small number of cases.
Based on our close track of USCIS internal memoranda, AAO decisions, and judicial review decisions, we have unique insight into the USCIS adjudication trends. Not only do we apply this insight into our approaches to our clients' cases, but we also carefully review all RFEs (Requests for Evidence), NOIDs (Notices of Intent to Deny), approvals, and denials issued on our cases so that we can further increase our understanding of USCIS strategies and decision-making processes. With the insight, we are able to advise our clients on the best ways to proceed with their petitions.
While other petitioners and attorneys may still use templates to draft recommendation letters or petition letters, our clients' recommendation letters and petition letters are tailored to their individual credentials to best persuade a USCIS officer that our clients meet the requirements of the category they are applying under and therefore their petitions deserve to be approved. To provide the best EB-1 and EB-2 NIW services, our law firm only selects attorneys who have received their professional Juris Doctor degrees from the top law schools in the U.S. and who have garnered rigorous analytical skills through years of experience.