Success Story: Strategic Win: A Chinese PhD Candidate & Optometrist Secures NIW Approval Through Premium Processing Upgrade

Client’s Testimonial:

“Thank you very much for the wonderful news!”

On April 11^th, 2025, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a PhD Candidate/Attending Optometrist in the Field of Optometry (Approval Notice).

General Field: Optometry

Position at the Time of Case Filing: PhD Candidate/Attending Optometrist

Country of Origin: China

Country of Residence at the Time of Filing: Canada

Approval Notice Date: April 11^th, 2025

Processing Time: 1 month, 18 days (Premium Processing Requested)

Case Summary:

We are thrilled to highlight the I-140 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval of an O.D. holder whose research is redefining non-surgical treatments for corneal disease and vision loss. Her petition, filed in February 2025 and upgraded to Premium Processing post-submission, was approved after just 1 month and 18 days – an outcome reflecting both the value of her scientific work and our firm’s rigorous petition strategy.

Field and Research Focus

Our client is an expert in optometry, specializing in scleral lenses and specialty contact lens design. Her proposed endeavor centers on enhancing these lenses using advanced ocular imaging technologies to provide safer, non-invasive treatment alternatives for corneal blindness and related disorders. Her innovations offer a vital pathway to preserving and restoring vision for millions at risk of vision loss due to conditions such as keratopathy, neurotrophic keratitis, and dry eye disease.

She plans to continue her research in an academic setting while contributing to clinical innovation and education.

Petition Category and Contributions

Filed under the EB-2 NIW category, her petition highlighted:

● 3 peer-reviewed journal articles and 8 first-authored abstracts,

● 18 citations according to Google Scholar,

● Multiple citations from international experts applying her methods to augmented reality systems and neural vision research,

● 3 completed peer reviews and editorial board service with a top-tier optometry journal,

● Funding from major agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund.

Letters of Recommendation

Her case was further strengthened by four expert letters of recommendation, including two from independent professionals in academia and clinical research. These letters affirmed the originality and national significance of her contributions.

“To conclude, the importance of [Client’s] research to understanding binocular rivalry, advancing treatments for amblyopia, and improving visual processing models is evident, given the breakthroughs that her research has fostered in these areas and in optometry more generally. Ensuring that [Client’s] work continues is not only important to the field, but to the United States as well.”

Her NIW approval underscores the merit of vision research in improving public health outcomes. We look forward to her continued impact in the field of clinical optometry and vision science.

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North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) is a U.S. immigration law firm dedicated to representing corporations, research institutions, and individuals from all 50 U.S. states regarding I-140 immigration petitions. We specialize in employment-based immigration petition and have a proven record of high success rate for the categories of: EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver), EB1-A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), EB1-B (Outstanding Researcher/Professor) and O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability).

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With more than 58,000 EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW and O-1 cases approved, we have first hand information on the manner in which the USCIS adjudicate I-140 cases. As the USCIS has constantly changed its adjudication standards for the EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-2 NIW categories, our firm's huge database of successful cases gives you unprecedented insight to USCIS adjudication trends. We carefully analyze the data for all of our cases and apply the results of our analyses toward giving our clients up-to-date advice and adapting our strategies such that we remain on par with the ever-shifting landscape of immigration law in the U.S. With us, you will always have access to important updates, strategies, and information so that you can make the most informed decisions about your case.

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