Success Stories: NIW Petition Approved in Just 8 Days for a Neuroscience PhD Candidate from Iran with the Direct Premium Processing

Client’s Testimonial:

“Thank you for all of your help with this process. I really appreciate everything you did for me.”

On June 2^nd, 2023, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a PhD Candidate in the Field of Neuroscience (Approval Notice).

General Field: Neuroscience

Position at the Time of Case Filing: PhD Candidate

Country of Origin: Iran

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: North Carolina

Approval Notice Date: : June 2^nd, 2023

Processing Time: 8 days (Premium Processing Requested)

Case Summary:

A neuroscience PhD candidate from Iran approached our firm seeking assistance with her I-140 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petition. Upon reviewing her exceptional research credentials, we quickly recognized her as an outstanding researcher with significant potential to contribute to addressing critical health challenges in the United States. Leveraging her extensive accomplishments, we meticulously prepared and filed a strong petition using the direct premium processing.

Pioneering Research on Safer Pain Management and Addiction Therapies

Our client’s proposed endeavor involves groundbreaking research into the rewarding and analgesic properties of opioid drugs. Her research specifically targets the role of various brain cell types in opioid addiction and explores the potential of cannabinoid drugs to prevent neurological conditions such as epilepsy. By developing safer analgesics and innovative adjuvant therapies, her work directly addresses the opioid crisis, aligning closely with national health priorities and promising substantial public health, economic, and biopharmaceutical benefits.

Achievements Reflecting Extraordinary Potential:

To demonstrate her qualification for the NIW, we highlighted several key achievements from her impressive background:

● Authored 6 peer-reviewed articles, including publications in top-tier journals.

● Her research work has accumulated 30 citations, clearly demonstrating the influence and importance of her findings.

● Two of her publications are ranked among the top 1% and top 10% most-cited articles in Neuroscience & Behavior for their respective years of publication.

● Conducted at least 3 peer reviews for a reputable journal.

● Received prestigious research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a funding reserved solely for research directed at advancing the national interest, emphasizing the national significance of her research.

Strong Endorsements from Leading Scientists

Our client’s petition was supported by two compelling recommendation letters, including one independent advisory opinion, which strongly endorsed her research contributions and highlighted their importance for the United States. One recommender stated:

“Repeatedly producing cutting-edge insights into the temporal distortions induced by neurological disorders and addictions, it is abundantly clear that [client] has established herself as a major contributor to the field. Given the fact that [client] is a top-tier expert working at the vanguard of neuroscience, I am more than happy to offer my full support for her continued work in the United States. Indeed, her talents are greatly needed.”

Approval in Just 8 Days

With the clarity, strength, and meticulous organization of our petition, USCIS approved the NIW petition in just 8 days under the direct premium processing. This swift approval reflects both the exceptional qualifications of our client and the effectiveness of our legal strategy. With this success, we are also delighted to share that our client received her I-485 (Adjustment of Status) petition approval with our firm’s guidance in just 6 months and 22 days.

We congratulate our client and are proud to have assisted her in securing this important approval. We look forward to her continued groundbreaking contributions to neuroscience and public health in the United States.

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).

Our Ten Thousand I-140 Approvals Provide Unprecedented Insight into the USCIS Adjudication Trend

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.

We Have Helped Hundreds and Thousands of Clients with Credentials and Backgrounds Similar to Yours

With our exceedingly large number of successful petitions, no matter what credentials you have, no matter your background and field of expertise, no matter your visa status or nationality, chances are we have helped hundreds or even thousands of clients just like you. Our clients are usually impressed with how well we understand their research and work. Our insight and understanding stems from the fact that we have handled many cases with elements similar to yours already, and this helps us devise the best strategies for each individual petition.

Vast Majority of Clients Came to Us Because of Referrals

For years, our firm has attracted new clients based solely on word of mouth, recommendations, and the positive collaboration experiences shared with them by their friends and family. We take pride in our reputation and work hard to ensure that we provide a green card application experience that our clients are happy to share with their friends and colleagues. That is how our cumulative total of approved cases grew from 600 in 2013 to over 58,000 in 2025.