Success Stories: EB-1A Petition Approved for Malaysian Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Field of Food Science despite RFE
Client’s Testimonial:
“Thank you for working hard on the case to get it approved! Greatly appreciate it.”
On March 22nd, 2016, we received another EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) approval for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Field of Food Science (Approval Notice).
General Field: Food Science
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Massachusetts
Approval Notice Date: March 22nd, 2016
Processing Time: 2 months, 27 days (Premium Processing Requested)
This EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) case involved a postdoctoral research associate from Malaysia. She hired North America Immigration Law Group (WeGreened.com) to help her attain a green card. Our attorneys and support staff worked diligently to put together a strong EB-1A petition packet that shed light on her various professional and academic accomplishments. Despite our meticulously prepared presentation, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE).
What is a Request for Evidence?
An RFE is issued when the USCIS needs additional evidence to determine whether a petitioner/applicant is eligible for case approval. In this case, our legal team promptly and effectively responded to the RFE and proved to the USCIS that our client’s credentials are legitimate and that she is an asset to the United States.
Compelling Credentials: Our client’s extensive experience researching low fat food products has propelled her to become a leading researcher in the field of food science. After carefully reviewing a summary of her research projects, we determined that her findings advance the United States’ food production sector to develop lower fat food products that still retain the flavor, texture, and other desirable characteristics of higher-fat foods. Our comprehensive EB-1A petition packet also contained data on her 20 publications that had amassed 184 citations at the time of filing. We also noted the 30 times she assessed the work of her peers for various prominent scientific journals. Additionally, our client’s Ph.D. in Food and Nutritional Sciences served as evidence that she is well-equipped with the necessary skills needed to continuously carry out high impact research in the field. To further fortify our EB1A petition, we incorporated six recommendation letters that our client gathered from other expert food scientists. In support of her EB-1A petition, one of her recommenders stated that “Based on the research she has completed so far, [Client] is among the most skilled researchers in her specialty and that her work is of tremendous value to continued improvements and advancements in the field of food science… [Client's] record of excellence in the field has placed her among the upper echelons in food science research worldwide.”
Last Step towards a Green Card:
From the date we initially filed her EB-1A petition to the date she received an approval notice, our client waited close to three months. This included the time that we spent preparing a response to the RFE issued. Thanks to Premium Processing (PP), she did not have to wait any longer than that (PP allows for rapid adjudication and officers must take action on PP cases within 15 days). We are pleased that the USCIS ultimately approved our client’s EB-1A petition. This approval notice serves as yet another example of our commitment to helping our clients get one step closer to their green card. In this particular case, we are helping our client go all the way. We are currently putting together her I-485 application (last step in the green card process) and once we have everything we need, we will file the paperwork on her behalf. We look forward to helping our client obtain American permanent residency, and we wish her well as she continues to advance her important field of food science.