Case Summary:  

We are pleased to share another National Interest Waiver (NIW) approval secured through our firm’s strategic and detail-oriented advocacy. In this case, we successfully guided a highly accomplished researcher in industrial and systems engineering to obtain approval of an I-140 NIW petition without a Request for Evidence.

The client holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and is an expert in the field of mathematical optimization. The client’s proposed endeavor focuses on advancing research that optimizes modern machine learning systems to reduce bias and unfairness in large-scale, data-driven decision-making platforms. This work supports widely used technologies such as video search systems, advertisement recommendation systems, and job recommendation systems, areas with clear implications for economic efficiency, technological innovation, and social equity.

At the time of filing, the client was actively employed in a research-focused role, applying advanced optimization techniques to real-world machine learning systems. The petition emphasized that the client’s proposed endeavor was not tied to a specific employer, but rather represented an independent and forward-looking research agenda with broad applicability across industries that rely on artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision-making.

To demonstrate that the proposed endeavor possessed both substantial merit and national importance, the petition highlighted the growing reliance on automated decision systems in the United States and the urgent need to ensure these technologies operate fairly and without discriminatory bias. The client’s research addresses this need by developing mathematically rigorous optimization frameworks that balance accuracy, efficiency, and fairness, an issue of increasing concern to policymakers, industry leaders, and the public.

The petition further established that the client was well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor through a strong record of scholarly achievement. The client has authored five peer-reviewed journal articles, one peer-reviewed conference article, and one preprint, including the majority as first author. Collectively, these publications have been cited 138 times, reflecting meaningful adoption and reliance by other researchers in the field. This citation record was presented as objective evidence that the client’s work has already influenced ongoing research and development efforts.

In addition, the client has completed at least 15 peer reviews for well-regarded journals and conferences, underscoring recognition by the academic community as a trusted expert capable of evaluating cutting-edge research. The petition also documented evidence of major competitive research funding from prominent U.S. government agencies, further reinforcing the national relevance and credibility of the client’s work.

A key component of the case was the inclusion of four independent letters of recommendation from established experts in the field. These letters provided third-party confirmation of the client’s originality, technical depth, and sustained impact.

“Accordingly, it is imperative that her research services are retained in the United States.”

The petition was approved under the EB-2 National Interest Waiver category, reaffirming that the client’s continued contributions to fair and unbiased machine learning systems serve the national interest. This approval reflects both the strength of the client’s research profile and the effectiveness of a carefully structured legal strategy.

We are proud to have supported the client in achieving this successful NIW outcome and look forward to continuing to assist researchers whose work advances critical technologies of national importance.