12 I-140 Approvals After RFE on July 1, 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 seeks additional clarification, stronger evidentiary support, or a more persuasive explanation connecting the applicant’s accomplishments to the applicable immigration standard. Successfully navigating this stage requires a record that remains organized, internally consistent, and directly responsive to the concerns raised during adjudication.
The following success stories highlight twelve I-140 approvals achieved after RFE review or related adverse procedural history. These approvals include six EB-1A petitions and six NIW petitions. Several cases involved multiple service center transfers, master’s-level credentials, applicants in transitional academic roles, petitions with limited or no supporting letters, and one non-premium processing timeline exceeding two years. Together, they demonstrate that favorable outcomes remain achievable when the evidentiary record remains coherent, responsive, and aligned with the applicable legal standard.
Cases With Inherent Challenges
Multiple Service Center Transfers
Several approvals involved petitions transferred between the Texas Service Center and the Nebraska Service Center before final adjudication. Such procedural movement can add complexity because the petition must remain persuasive and internally consistent across different adjudicative settings, especially after an RFE has already placed the case under heightened review.
Limited or No Testimonial Evidence
All twelve approvals proceeded without testimonial letters, and one NIW approval proceeded without either recommendation letters or testimonial letters. These cases required greater reliance on objective indicators such as publication record, citation impact, peer-reviewed work, field relevance, and the clarity of the applicant’s proposed role.
EB-1A Approvals After RFE (6)
#1: EB-1A in Epidemiology
This EB-1A approval involved a Postdoctoral Associate, born in Iran and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Epidemiology, the petition received an RFE from Officer EX0150 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and presented a substantial scholarly profile consisting of 27 publications and 4,181 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 4 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was transferred from the Texas Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center and then back to the Texas Service Center with upfront premium processing.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing EB-1A approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#2: EB-1A in Computer Science
This EB-1A approval involved a Ph.D. student, born in China and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Filed in Computer Science, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM0205 before approval was ultimately achieved.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 15 publications and 334 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 Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#3: EB-1A in Neurology
This EB-1A approval involved a Senior Scientist, born in India and residing in the United States, who proposes to remain in the same employment. Filed in Neurology, the petition received an RFE from Officer EX5199 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 20 publications and 430 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 4 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was adjudicated through the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#4: EB-1A in Environmental Science
This EB-1A approval involved a Postdoctoral Scholar, born in China and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Environmental Science, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2415 before approval was ultimately achieved.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and presented a strong scholarly profile consisting of 29 publications and 1,242 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 4 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was transferred from the Texas Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#5: EB-1A in Computational Material Science
This EB-1A approval involved a Postdoctoral Research Staff 3, born in Vietnam and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Computational Material Science, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2262 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 21 publications and 658 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. The filing was supported by 5 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was transferred from the Nebraska Service Center to the Texas Service Center and then back to the Nebraska Service Center with upfront premium processing.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing EB-1A approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#6: EB-1A in Biomedical Engineering
This EB-1A approval involved a Ph.D. student, born in China and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Filed in Biomedical Engineering, the petition received an RFE from the Nebraska Service Center before approval was ultimately achieved.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and presented a scholarly profile consisting of 20 publications and 634 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2024. The filing was supported by 6 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was transferred from the Texas Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center and then back to the Texas Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing EB-1A approval after RFE review while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
NIW Approvals After RFE (6)
#7: NIW in Biomedical Science
This NIW approval involved a Ph.D. student, born in Iran and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as a Postdoctoral Researcher. Filed in Biomedical Science, the applicant initially filed an NIW petition, followed by an EB-1A petition. The NIW petition was approved after the EB-1A petition was approved following an RFE from the Texas Service Center.
The applicant held a STEM master’s degree and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 12 publications and 126 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2023. The NIW filing was supported by 2 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The NIW petition was adjudicated through the Nebraska Service Center without premium processing and was approved in 889 days.
Notable: This approval is notable for securing NIW approval while a related EB-1A petition was approved after receiving an RFE.
#8: NIW in Machine Learning
This NIW approval involved an Instructional Assistant Professor, born in China and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Machine Learning, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2366 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and presented a scholarly profile consisting of 6 publications and 14 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2025. 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.
#9: NIW in High Performance Computing
This NIW approval involved a Senior Research Development Engineer in industry, born in Iran and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as a Senior Research Software Development Engineer in industry. Filed in High Performance Computing, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM1728 before approval was ultimately achieved.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 3 publications and 77 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2021. The filing was supported by 2 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was transferred from the Texas Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#10: NIW in Transportation Infrastructure Systems
This NIW approval involved an Infrastructure Asset Management Engineer in industry, born in Palestine and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Transportation Infrastructure Systems, the petition received an RFE from Officer EX0105 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and presented a scholarly record consisting of 4 publications and 41 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2024. The filing was supported by 3 recommendation letters and proceeded without testimonial letters.
The petition was adjudicated through the Nebraska Service Center with a premium processing upgrade.
#11: NIW in Biomedical Sciences
This NIW approval involved a Postdoctoral Scholar, born in Mexico and residing in the United States, who proposes to continue in the same employment. Filed in Biomedical Sciences, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM2164 before approval was ultimately achieved.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and demonstrated a scholarly record consisting of 11 publications and 446 citations, with peer-reviewed work published as recently as 2023. The filing proceeded without supporting letters.
The petition was transferred 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 and while undergoing multiple service center transfers.
#12: NIW in Conservation Genomics
This NIW approval involved a Postdoctoral Researcher, born in Sri Lanka and residing in the United States, who proposes to work as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Filed in Conservation Genomics, the petition received an RFE from Officer XM1986 before approval was ultimately secured.
The applicant held a STEM Ph.D. and presented a scholarly profile consisting of 7 publications and 22 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 transferred 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 the petition underwent multiple service center transfers.
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.