Success Story: A Materials Engineering Researcher Secures I-140 NIW Approval for Work Advancing Nano/Microscale Materials
Client’s Testimonial:
"Working with Chen Immigration & Attorneys was an excellent experience from start to finish. Their team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and deep expertise in preparing my EB-2 NIW petition. They carefully reviewed every aspect of my case, provided clear guidance throughout the process, and responded promptly whenever I had questions.
Although my case took about 25 months before approval, the team remained supportive throughout the journey, and after upgrading to premium processing, my petition was approved successfully. I truly appreciate their dedication and thorough preparation, which gave me confidence in my case. I highly recommend Chen Immigration to researchers and professionals pursuing an EB-2 NIW petition.”
On May 16th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a PhD Student in the Field of Materials Engineering (Approval Notice).
General Field: Materials Engineering
Position at the Time of Case Filing: PhD Student
Country of Origin: Bangladesh
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Indiana
Approval Notice Date: May 16th, 2026
Processing Time: 25 months (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)
Case Summary:
“Thus, continuing [Client’s] research is vital for the progress of materials engineering and holds significant national importance.”
The statement above is taken from one of two recommendation letters submitted as part of the I-140 NIW petition for a materials engineering researcher who holds an M.S. Drawing on our extensive experience and a proven track record of over 32,000 successful cases, our expert team prepared a strong petition on behalf of this researcher.
As an expert in materials engineering, the client’s proposed endeavor is to continue researching state-of-the-art advanced materials at the nano/microscale to improve material choices for biological, military, and environmental applications. At the time of filing, the client was conducting materials engineering research at a U.S. university, focusing on advanced material synthesis, characterization, and performance improvement. We demonstrated that this work has national importance because it supports advanced engineering materials, nanotechnology development, defense-related research, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications.
To strengthen the case, we highlighted objective evidence of the client’s research record and field recognition:
- 4 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 3 first-authored articles, 2 book chapters, including 1 first-authored chapter, and 1 first-authored forthcoming book chapter
- 72 citations to the client’s published work
- Research funding supported by the Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Award
The petition did not present these metrics as sufficient by themselves. Instead, we explained how an adjudicator could view them as evidence that the client’s work had already been circulated, cited, and relied upon by other researchers in materials engineering. The petition also emphasized that one of the client’s papers ranked among the top 20% most-cited articles in Materials Science for its publication year, helping contextualize the citation record within the field rather than relying only on raw citation totals.
The two recommendation letters further supported the client’s significance by explaining the value of his work in areas such as antimicrobial nanomaterials, modified multiferroic materials, and nanoparticle-based wastewater treatment. These expert statements helped show that the client’s research was not limited to academic publication, but instead contributed to practical material solutions with potential applications in healthcare, defense, environmental protection, and advanced manufacturing.
It has been an honor to support this materials engineering researcher throughout this journey, and we extend our sincere best wishes for continued success in advancing innovative materials research for biological, military, and environmental applications.