Success Story: NIW Approval for a Researcher Advancing Quantum-Resistant Encryption
Client’s Testimonial:
"Thank you for your help and prompt communication throughout this process.”
On June 11th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Graduate Student in the Field of Data Security and Privacy (Approval Notice).
General Field: Data Security and Privacy
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Graduate Student
Country of Origin: Nepal
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Indiana
Approval Notice Date: June 11th, 2026
Processing Time: 18 months (Premium Processing Requested)
Case Summary:
North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) assisted a graduate student from Nepal in presenting a petition based on his work in data security and privacy. His proposed endeavor centered on developing next-generation privacy-preserving secure protocols that enable easy data sharing and processing across large-scale computing environments. In practical terms, his research safeguards sensitive information throughout its entire lifecycle, ensuring robust protection not only during traditional data storage but also while data is in use in computer systems for various processing needs.
The petition highlighted three key areas of technical contribution. First, the client developed a framework to preserve data privacy within advanced cloud-based computing architectures, mitigating data security risks inherent in distributed environments. Second, he created a benchmarking framework for advanced cryptographic tools, allowing systems developers to objectively evaluate encryption software and select solutions that balance their security and performance needs. Third, he advanced privacy-preserving data computation models, introducing scalable techniques that accelerate processing speeds and data aggregation for systems that deal with databases that are often distributed and contain sensitive data.
Although the client was still early in his research career, the petition showed a meaningful and focused record of progress. His work included 2 first-authored peer-reviewed journal articles and 2 conference papers, 16 citations, at least 11 completed peer reviews, and 1 paper ranked among the top 10% most-cited Computer Science articles for its publication year. His research has also been relied upon by other scholars working on quantum machine learning security, AI-supported healthcare applications, and homomorphic encryption library evaluation.
The case was further strengthened by 4 recommendation letters and evidence that the client’s research had been supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation. One recommender observed, "When this is taken into consideration with the risk of security breaches that harm brand reputations, lead to financial disputes, and foster distrust in digital services, it is clear that [Client]'s work is of great value to the field and that he is an irreplaceable presence in the research sphere."
USCIS approved the I-140 NIW petition on June 11th, 2026, after 18 months of processing with premium processing upgraded on April 6th, 2026. This approval recognized the importance of advancing secure data-sharing technologies that can strengthen privacy protections, reduce cybersecurity risks, and support the continued growth of trusted digital infrastructure in the United States.