Success Stories: Climate Solutions Recognized: Chemical Engineering PhD Student’s Carbon Capture Research Earned NIW Approval Post-RFE with NAILG’s Support

Client’s Testimonial:

“Thank you so much for your time and efforts for my case! Pleasure as well to have your help!”

On May 13^th, 2025, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a PhD Student in the Field of Chemical Engineering (Approval Notice).

General Field: Chemical Engineering

Position at the Time of Case Filing: PhD Student

Country of Origin: China

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Massachusetts

Approval Notice Date: May 13^th, 2025

Processing Time: 1 year, 1 month, 15 days

Case Summary:

When our client first approached the North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG), her work stood out as both timely and technically advanced. An emerging expert in chemical engineering, she had developed a novel research direction focused on metallic electrocatalysts for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into long-chain hydrocarbons. Her goal? Not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but to transform waste carbon into usable fuels, contributing directly to climate mitigation and sustainable energy innovation.

Despite her impressive research profile, our client’s case received a Request for Evidence (RFE) from USCIS. But for NAILG, this was a challenge, not a setback. The team responded by building a targeted legal strategy that highlighted the real-world environmental relevance of her work, backed by compelling documentation of her scientific record and federal support. Within 3 months of responding to the RFE, her National Interest Waiver petition was approved.

What made her case compelling? Our client’s research addresses a growing global priority: finding scalable, cost-effective ways to turn CO₂ emissions into resources rather than pollutants. Her work has resulted in 8 peer-reviewed journal articles (2 first-authored), 2 first-authored abstracts, and 22 citations to date. She has also served as a peer reviewer for at least 2 papers, reflecting her growing presence in the research community.

Importantly, her research has been funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, demonstrating its relevance to national energy strategy and innovation in defense-aligned sectors. As one recommender noted:

“The significance of [client]’s work extends to many critical aspects of environmental management, energy generation, and public health. For example, emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are detrimental to air quality, which is directly tied to public health.”

Thanks to NAILG’s customized legal response and strategic case framing, our client’s journey, from RFE to approval, underscores how early-career researchers with mission-critical innovations can still succeed under the National Interest Waiver. Her case is now closed, but her impact is only beginning, as she continues her research to build a cleaner, carbon-smart future from within the United States.

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North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) is a U.S. immigration law firm dedicated to representing corporations, research institutions, and individuals from all 50 U.S. states regarding I-140 immigration petitions. We specialize in employment-based immigration petition and have a proven record of high success rate for the categories of: EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver), EB1-A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), EB1-B (Outstanding Researcher/Professor) and O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability).

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