On May 2^nd, 2016, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for an R&D Staff Engineer in the Field of Computer Vision (Approval Notice).

General Field: Computer Vision

Position at the Time of Case Filing: R&D Staff Engineer

Country of Origin: Iran

Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: California

Approval Notice Date: May 2^nd, 2016

Processing Time: 10 months

Case Summary:

Exactly 10 months after we filed an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition on behalf of an R&D staff engineer from Iran, we received notification of case approval. Almost 2 months after that, he received the good news that his green card application had been approved as well. Our client, a gifted researcher working in the field of computer vision, knew that we would do everything we could to help him obtain green card success. He hired us to help him navigate the complex green card process, and judging by both his EB-2 NIW petition and green card approvals, we did an excellent job.

Concurrent Filing:

So how come it only took our client approximately 2 months after his EB-2 NIW was approved to have action taken on his I-485 application? The reason for this is because he chose to concurrently file his NIW petition and his I-485 application. As can be seen from the overall timeline, our client managed to trim down several months from the lengthy green card process.

Qualifying for the national interest waiver:

It is not easy obtaining a national interest waiver and the fact that our client received one speaks volumes of the quality of his research efforts and their importance to the United States. We were tasked with putting together a convincing petition packet that highlighted his various professional achievements and here are several of the key points that we focused on:

1. We noted our client’s development of novel techniques in the realm of visual servoing, and more recently in applying his expertise to the design of surgical robots. Thanks to the comprehensive research summary that our client supplied us, we were able to pinpoint the exact benefits that his work has for the United States. Amongst other things, our client’s findings contribute to the manufacturing industry, the advancement of methods and techniques used in robotics and computer vision, and the development of breakthrough surgical technology. Furthermore, his latest research efforts advance American healthcare efficiency, along with resulting reductions in surgical complications and patient costs.
2. To prove that our client’s work also benefits the scientific community, we used Google Scholar to obtain his citation count. At the time of filing, our client’s 31 published conference and journal articles had gathered 191 citations.
3. Thanks to his Ph.D. in Computing Science and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, we determined that our client possesses an in-depth understanding of the field and will continue to advance it in ways that not many other researchers can.

In order to make our client’s EB-2 NIW case airtight, we asked him to connect with other professionals working in the field and ask them to advocate for the approval of his petition. Four experts agreed to lend their support by signing recommendation letters that detailed our client’s research efforts, his accomplishments, and the significance of his presence in the United States. According to one of these experts—a prominent professor—our client’s “…years of experience and education have provided him with a rich and balanced wealth of knowledge in the areas of robotics and computer vision. While many of his peers may either have experience in surgical robotics or robotic manufacturing, [Client’s] background has included a variety of experiences in the research and development of multiple robotic applications.”  

Celebrating green card approval:

Our client’s EB-2 NIW petition approval and newly minted status as an American permanent resident are examples of North America Immigration Law Group’s dedication to helping every client accomplish their green card goals. We congratulate him and wish him well as he embarks on new beginnings in the United States.