Success Stories: Research Associate in Massachusetts in the Field of Materials Science Receives EB-1A Petition Approval Nearly 11 Months after Filing
Client’s Testimonial:
“First thanks for your help with my I140 application.”
On March 23rd, 2016, we received another EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) approval for a Research Associate in the Field of Materials Science (Approval Notice).
General Field: Materials Science
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Research Associate
Country of Origin: China
Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Massachusetts
Approval Notice Date: March 23rd, 2016
Processing Time: 10 Months, 28 Days (Premium Processing Requested)
Almost 11 months after we filed an EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) petition on our client’s behalf, he finally received notification of case approval. Adjudication may have stretched on for much longer but as our client was reluctant to wait any longer, he upgraded his case to Premium Processing approximately 10.5 months after it was initially filed. He received an approval notice from Texas Service Center exactly 15 days after the upgrade.
Is Premium Processing Right for Me?
Premium Processing (PP) is an add-on option offered by the USCIS for selected EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 visa categories. By paying an additional $1,225, petitioners can enjoy rapid adjudication; immigration officers must take action on PP cases within 15 days. This is a good option for petitioners who are not able to/do not want to wait the 4-9 months that the USCIS usually takes to adjudicate regular cases. Petitioners can choose to file their cases under PP at the very beginning, or upgrade their status at any time during the adjudication process (like our client).
Can Our Firm Guarantee Petition Approval?
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that every client we help will obtain a petition approval. Case outcome depends on the respective client’s credentials and the adjudicating officer. We do, however, guarantee that we will do our very best to help our clients put together a strong petition packet that highlights their strengths. In this EB-1A case, our client (a talented research associate from China) is working in the field of materials science and is conducting research on the development of biomimetic and bio-inspired functional materials. We proved to the USCIS that his findings are important to the United States, and we did this by documenting his various professional achievements in our carefully-prepared EB-1A petition packet. When we filed the case, our client’s work had gathered 1246 citations, he had conducted over 30 peer reviews, and he had published 29 scientific articles, 1 patent, 1 book, and 10 conference presentations. We also included recommendation letters provided by other experts in the field, all of whom firmly attested to the value of our client’s work to the nation. One of our client’s recommenders described him as “… a truly innovative scientist who is worthy of opportunities that will allow him to continue to make scientific advancements. By remaining in the United States, [Client] will be able to contribute his expertise to American society and improve the way we understand living organisms’ most foundational functions. I have no doubt that he will continue to be a valuable scientist to not only [institution], but also to the collective body of scientists in the United States and the world.”
What is the Final Step?
Not long after our client’s EB-1A petition was approved, he retained our legal services to help him file I-485 applications for himself and his family. The I-485 application is the final step in the green card process and once approved, will lead to permanent residency. We join our client and his dependents as they eagerly await good news from the USCIS.