Success Story: Strengthened Evidence After RFE Supports NIW Approval for Molecular Biology Researcher
Client’s Testimonial:
"Thank you very much for the update and for all your support throughout my I-140 NIW process. I’m very happy and grateful for the approval!”
On August 29th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Field of Molecular Biology (Approval Notice).
General Field: Molecular Biology
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Postdoctoral Fellow
Country of Origin: Bangladesh
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Alabama
Approval Notice Date: August 29th, 2026
Processing Time: 17 months, 8 days (Premium Processing Requested)
Case Summary:
The client sought the assistance of North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) to pursue an EB-2 National Interest Waiver based on his molecular biology research. His proposed endeavor centered on investigating fundamental molecular repair mechanisms and drug resistance in pathogens to identify novel therapeutic targets for severe diseases, including cancers and chronic infections. This highly ambitious work seamlessly built upon his extensive foundational experience studying advanced antimicrobial therapies, cellular degradation, and complex disease resistance mechanisms. At the time of filing, the client also held a Ph.D. in pharmacy.
Premium processing was requested on March 4th, 2026. USCIS subsequently issued an RFE, challenging whether the record sufficiently established the national importance of the client’s specific proposed endeavor and whether he was well positioned to advance it. In responding, NAILG clarified the distinction between the client’s employment and his broader proposed endeavor and provided additional evidence connecting his specific research objectives to the U.S. public-health challenges posed by antimicrobial-resistant infections and cancer. The response explained that his work was designed to produce scientific knowledge and experimental approaches applicable beyond a single employer or laboratory.
Our response also gave USCIS a more current and contextualized picture of the client’s research influence. By July 2026, he had authored 9 peer-reviewed journal articles, and his work had accumulated 129 citations, up from 66 citations documented in the original filing. His research had been cited by scholars across all six inhabited continents, further demonstrating the geographic reach of his work.
NAILG identified concrete examples of independent researchers actively utilizing the client’s work. Subsequent studies applied his findings to evaluate advanced antimicrobial therapies, investigate alternatives to conventional antibiotics, and examine complex cellular stress and inflammatory pathways critical to modern therapeutic development. The RFE response also highlighted the client’s peer-review service for a distinguished journal in his field and submitted additional expert support addressing the significance of his research.
NAILG connected the client’s concrete plans with his established molecular biology and microbiology skills to demonstrate continuity between his prior accomplishments and his proposed future research.
The case illustrates the importance of addressing an RFE at the level of the officer’s specific concerns: clarifying the scope and broader implications of the proposed endeavor while placing publications, citations, independent research use, peer-review activity, and future plans into a coherent evidentiary context.