Success Story: NIW Approved for a Computer Scientist Advancing Cybersecurity Research
Client’s Testimonial:
"Chen Immigration gave timely and informative responses during the NIW process and kept guidance updated with changing visa policies. Their web portal also makes the process smoother for auto-filling forms and document reviews."
On July 28th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Research Scientist in the Field of Computer Science (Approval Notice).
General Field: Computer Science
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Research Scientist
Country of Origin: Pakistan
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Georgia
Approval Notice Date: July 28th, 2026
Processing Time: 14 months, 6 days (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)
Case Summary:
The client recently received approval of an I-140 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petition. Holding a Ph.D. in computer science, the client works as a research scientist. The petition demonstrated that this work possesses substantial merit and national importance because strengthening cybersecurity across critical infrastructure directly supports public safety, economic stability, and national security.
Evidence of Professional Achievement
To demonstrate a sustained record of research accomplishments, the petition documented the client's scholarly contributions, including 4 peer-reviewed conference articles, 2 of which were first-authored, together with 1 first-authored preprint. Because conference publications represent the primary venue for disseminating high-impact research in computer science, the petition explained why publication in leading peer-reviewed conferences is regarded as comparable to prestigious journal publications in many other scientific disciplines. Rather than relying solely on publication numbers, the evidence emphasized the quality of these research venues as an indicator of professional achievement.
The client had also accumulated 73 citations to published work. While citation counts alone are not determinative in NIW adjudications, the petition demonstrated that the client's research had been independently relied upon by other researchers, reflecting meaningful influence within the cybersecurity community. The petition further highlighted that several publications had achieved citation performance well above field averages for their respective publication years, providing additional context for how adjudicators could evaluate the significance of the research record.
In addition to scholarly publications, the client had completed at least 3 peer reviews for respected conferences in computer science. Invitations to evaluate the work of other researchers generally reflect recognition of specialized expertise, making peer-review service another relevant factor supporting the client's professional standing. The petition also noted that the client's cybersecurity research had received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Rather than treating funding as an achievement by itself, the petition used this evidence to demonstrate that organizations supporting nationally significant cybersecurity research had recognized the value and relevance of the client's work.
Approval
After reviewing the evidence submitted under the Matter of Dhanasar framework, USCIS approved the client's I-140 National Interest Waiver petition. We congratulate the client on this successful outcome and look forward to seeing continued contributions toward strengthening cybersecurity and protecting critical technologies in the United States.