Success Stories: South Korean Geotechnical Engineer Chooses Concurrent Filing and Secures NIW Approval and Green Card Less Than 5 Months Apart
Client’s Testimonial:
“Chen group helped us applying for NIW and I-485 concurrently. They were very responsive to the process of the USCIS and let us know how and what to prepare at each stage. They also answered many questions regarding our case including some of very complicated ones. It seems that immigration application process is very easy to become delicate and complex, however, their broad knowledge and knowhow make them simpler. The best part is their solid background and experiences in this area. We’re happy that we choose them.”
On May 18th, 2017, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Geotechnical Engineer in the Field of Civil Engineering (Approval Notice).
General Field: Civil Engineering
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Geotechnical Engineer
Country of Origin: South Korea
Service Center: Nebraska Service Center (NSC)
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: New York
Approval Notice Date: May 18th, 2016
Processing Time: 12 months, 22 days
Case Summary:
Nearly 13 months after North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) filed an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition for a South Korean geotechnical engineer, the USCIS approved it. More good news came less than 5 months later—we received notification of I-485 approval, meaning our client and his spouse are now green card holders. Our client did not have to wait too long between both approval notices because he chose to concurrently file the I-140 and I-485, which essentially gave the USCIS a head start in adjudicating the latter. To learn more about concurrent filing, please head to http://www.wegreened.com/I-140-and-I-485-concurrent-filing.
So what did it take to secure the national interest waiver? For one, our client’s Ph.D. in Civil Engineering proved to the USCIS that he is equipped with the practical and theoretical knowledge needed to carry out important research in the field. The many years that he has spent on his studies have led to the publication of 8 articles which had been cited 22 times. These numbers lent a hand in proving to the USCIS that our client’s work on geosynthetic reinforced earth structures contributes to the United States’ construction industry by improving guidelines and reducing costs.
The comprehensive petition packet our legal team put together contained convincing evidence of the benefits of our client’s research to the United States. This included six recommendation letters signed by other expert civil engineers, one of whom stated that: “it would be greatly detrimental to our field if he were unable to continue conducting research in the United States.” Another recommender noted that “[Client] displays the qualities of an extremely unique individual, as he is able to conduct research that has long-term benefits for researchers and is immediately relevant to applications in the field.”
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our client for securing US permanent residence, and we thank him for choosing our firm to represent him.