On October 21^st, 2019, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Research Assistant in the Field of Mechanical Engineering (Approval Notice).

General Field: Mechanical Engineering

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Research Assistant

Country of Origin: Iran

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Utah

Approval Notice Date: October 21^st, 2019

Processing Time: 8 months, 29 days

Case Summary:

North America Immigration Law Group (WeGreened.com) was approached by an Iranian Research Assistant to help him with the first step to obtaining a green card－filing an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition. Less than 9 months after we filed the petition, the USCIS sent him notification that his case was approved.

Our client’s research focuses on developing Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) ultrasound transducers to wirelessly power implantable medical devices using acoustic waves, as well as developing modeling techniques to predict the behavior of smart materials and structures. His work in this area is of great importance because it has led to improved implantable medical devices, which are easily implementable and less invasive.

To support our argument that our client deserved the national interest waiver, evidence of 5 peer-reviewed journal articles (3 of them first-authored), 15 peer-reviewed conference papers (8 of them first-authored) and 58 citations was submitted. Moreover, proof of fundings granted to our client was also included in the petition packet. Our client has been granted funding from leading agencies in recognition of the value and importance of his work. These grants are reserved for research directly addressing critical problems in mechanical engineering, and thus this funding demonstrates the significance of his research.

In order to further fortify the petition, we encouraged our client to reach out to noted experts in the field for their contribution of recommendation letters. Six letters of recommendations were therefore incorporated into the petition. The following excerpt is what one of his recommenders noted in the letter: “[Client] has already made valuable contributions toward efforts to improve methods of power delivery to these devices, as he has analyzed existing methods and fabricated a new design. His information on APT methods provides vital information to increase the efficacy of biomedical implants. The success that he has already achieved provides assurances that he possesses the skills necessary to continue this trajectory of success. Few researchers are able to provide the same advantages as [client].”

Despite our client’s strong credentials and our customized petition letter, the USCIS issued an RFE (Request for Evidence). Thanks to our experience of securing more than 15,000 I-140 approvals, we promptly put together a strong response, which eventually led to the case approval. We congratulate our client on overcoming the hurdle, and thank him for also choosing us to help him adjust his status in the United States (file an I-485).