Success Story: Microbiology Researcher from Germany Secures I-140 NIW Approval After RFE
Client’s Testimonial:
“Thank you for all your support! It's been tough to work through the 3 prong RFE but with the help of your skilled lawyers we pushed through!”
On August 17th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Field of Microbiology (Approval Notice).
General Field: Microbiology
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Postdoctoral Fellow
Country of Origin: Germany
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Massachusetts
Approval Notice Date: August 17th, 2026
Processing Time: 17 months (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)
Case Summary:
The client earned a Dr. rer. nat. in molecular microbiology and built a research career focused on microbiology, bacterial therapeutics, immune system modulation, and host-pathogen interactions. At the time of filing, the client was conducting research in a U.S.-based medical research setting, where her ongoing work focused on developing synthetic biology-based approaches to support immune response activation and cancer treatment innovation.
North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) presented the proposed endeavor as an effort to develop a microbiology- and synthetic biology-based immunotherapy approach aimed at improving the body’s immune response against cancer. The petition explained that the client’s work involved engineering bacteria and studying how modified microbial systems can be used to activate immune responses and influence the tumor microenvironment.
After the case received a Request for Evidence (RFE), our response further clarified the importance of the proposed endeavor and reinforced the connection between the client’s prior research and her future work. We emphasized the broader relevance of her work to key areas in healthcare and biotechnology, particularly its potential to contribute to ongoing efforts to address important medical and scientific challenges.
At the time of filing, the client’s scholarly accomplishments included:
- 3 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 2 first-authored articles
- 4 first-authored conference abstracts
- 82 citations
- At least 2 completed peer reviews
- Research support from major U.S. and international funding sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Rather than presenting these metrics as isolated academic achievements, the petition demonstrated how the client’s work had practical value for microbiology and therapeutic development. To establish the client’s significance, we showed that independent researchers had cited and built upon her findings in related areas of microbiology and biomedical research. These citations helped demonstrate that her research has been useful to other researchers in related scientific and biomedical fields.
The petition also explained how the client’s prior work on bacterial regulation and engineered bacterial systems supported her ability to advance the proposed endeavor. By connecting her publication record, citation impact, peer-review service, expert support, funded research background, and current U.S.-based work, we demonstrated that the client was well positioned to continue contributing to microbiology, synthetic biology, and immunotherapy research.
Two included expert letters further reinforced the client’s ability to advance the proposed endeavor by explaining the value of her work in bacterial therapeutics and immune system modulation. The independent advisory opinion also helped support the argument that her research had influenced the field beyond her immediate research environment. One expert noted:
“Ensuring the continuation of [Client’s] work is thus deeply important to both microbiology research and to the United States.”
Following review by USCIS and submission of our RFE response, the client’s I-140 National Interest Waiver petition was approved under premium processing after a total processing time of 17 months. We congratulate the client on this successful outcome and look forward to seeing continued contributions toward advancing microbiology, synthetic biology-based immunotherapy, and cancer treatment innovation in the United States.