Success Story: Advancing Telescope Data Analysis and Galaxy Evolution Research: NIW Approval Secured for a Croatian Astronomy Researcher
Client’s Testimonial:
"Thank you so much for the incredibly smooth process and for the news that my petition was approved!”
On June 12th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for an Assistant Scientific Researcher in the field of Astronomy (Approval Notice).
General Field: Astronomy
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Assistant Scientific Researcher
Country of Origin: Croatia
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: California
Approval Notice Date: June 12th, 2026
Processing Time: 1 month, 29 days (Premium Processing Requested)
Case Summary:
The client’s work focuses on a fundamental question in astronomy, namely, how stars, through their formation, evolution, and death, affect the growth and evolution of galaxies. Her proposed endeavor involved analyzing observational data from space-based and ground-based telescopes to study how energetic processes connected to star formation shape the interstellar environment and galaxies as a whole. At the time of filing, she was employed as an assistant scientific researcher, where her work involved telescope data analysis, data processing, machine learning, deep learning, and observational astronomy.
Research with National Importance
The client’s research examines how star formation, stellar feedback, gas movement, dust, and galactic outflows affect galaxies over time. Her work uses observational data and advanced analytical methods to study how young stars change their surrounding environments and how those changes influence later stages of star formation and galaxy growth. By combining telescope observations with data processing and machine learning methods, her work helps improve how astronomers interpret complex multi-wavelength data from modern observatories.
Academic Contributions and Recognition
At the time of filing, the client’s record included 38 peer-reviewed journal articles, 20 abstracts, 1 preprint, 709 citations, and at least 5 peer reviews for authoritative journals in her field. She had also been invited to serve as a subject matter expert for a major telescope review committee, showing that her expertise was recognized beyond her own publications.
Her citation record further supported the petition. Several of her papers ranked among the most cited Space Science papers for their publication years, including 1 paper ranked within the top 1%, 8 papers ranked within the top 10%, and 1 paper ranked within the top 20%. These rankings helped show that independent researchers had relied on her findings at a notable rate.
NIW Approval and Outlook
The I-140 NIW petition was filed on April 14th, 2026, with Premium Processing Requested, and approved on June 12th, 2026. The approval recognized the national importance of the client’s work in astronomy, particularly her research on telescope data analysis, machine learning-supported data processing, star formation, and galaxy evolution.
This result supports the client’s continued work in astronomy and her efforts to improve how researchers use telescope data to study the universe. We congratulate her on this approval and wish her continued success in advancing astronomy research in the United States.