Success Story: Inorganic Chemistry Expert Achieves NIW Approval After a 37-Month Process
Client’s Testimonial:
"Finally it's approved. After 856 days. I'm so happy, and many thanks to Chen's team.”
On August 19th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Sales Manager in the Field of Inorganic Chemistry (Approval Notice).
General Field: Inorganic Chemistry
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Sales Manager
Country of Origin: Iran
Country of Residence at the Time of Filing: Iran
Approval Notice Date: August 19th, 2026
Processing Time: 37 months, 1 day
Case Summary:
This NIW case followed an unusually lengthy path to approval. The petition was filed in July 2023, and USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) several months later. After the RFE response, USCIS denied the petition, challenging all three prongs of the Matter of Dhanasar framework. North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) subsequently appealed the denial, arguing that the decision had not properly applied the NIW standard or adequately considered the evidence presented.
The client held a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and had developed a substantial record of research related to advanced materials and renewable energy technologies. His work focused particularly on improving materials and methods relevant to solar energy, while his broader research experience also extended to other applications of advanced materials. At the time of filing, the record documented 33 peer-reviewed journal articles, 11 conference papers, and one book chapter. His work had accumulated 422 citations, and several publications ranked among highly cited chemistry papers for their respective publication periods. The petition also documented his experience serving as a peer reviewer.
In presenting the appeal, our team emphasized that these metrics were not meaningful merely as numerical achievements. Rather, we connected them to evidence showing how other researchers had relied upon the client’s work and how multiple publications had achieved comparatively strong citation performance. Updated evidence submitted during the proceedings showed that the client's citation count had increased to 595. We also highlighted the client's advanced STEM education, research experience, continued progress, and the interest the work had generated among other researchers as evidence that the client was well positioned to continue this research.
The appeal also addressed USCIS’s treatment of the client’s intended research. NAILG explained that the relevant focus was the client’s plan to advance materials and methods that could contribute to more effective renewable energy technologies. We argued that this work had broader implications for clean-energy development and aligned with U.S. interests in critical and emerging technologies. The appeal further challenged the standards applied in the denial and explained why the complete evidentiary record supported each of the three Dhanasar prongs.
The appeal was transferred to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), which later withdrew the Director’s decision and remanded the matter for a new decision consistent with its analysis. Following this extended adjudication process, the NIW petition was ultimately approved on August 19th, 2026, 37 months and 1 day after filing. The outcome reflects both the client’s strong record in inorganic chemistry and NAILG’s careful presentation of that record throughout the RFE and appellate proceedings.