Success Story: NIW Approval for an Expert Advancing Novel Therapies for Hard-to-Treat Diseases
Client’s Testimonial:
"I would like to sincerely thank Chen Immigration & Attorneys for their outstanding support in successfully obtaining approval of my NIW I-140 petition. Their team is highly professional throughout the entire process. They responded to my questions in a timely manner and provided clear guidance at every step. I truly appreciate their dedication and efficiency, and I highly recommend Chen Immigration & Attorneys to anyone seeking reliable and professional immigration legal services.”
On April 15th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Senior Scientist in the Field of Drug Discovery (Approval Notice).
General Field: Drug Discovery
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Scientist
Country of Origin: China
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: California
Approval Notice Date: April 15th, 2026
Processing Time: 13 months, 19 days (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)
Case Summary:
With the support of the North America Immigration Law Group, the client’s I-140 NIW petition was approved. The client, who holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology, works in drug discovery and is currently employed as a scientist in the biotechnology industry. His proposed endeavor focused on discovering and developing novel therapies for diseases with limited or no existing treatment options, including drug-resistant and metastatic cancers and inherited genetic disorders. The petition argued that this work carries substantial merit and national importance because it addresses serious unmet medical needs while supporting broader U.S. interests in public health and biomedical innovation.
To show that the client was well-positioned to advance this endeavor, we emphasized not just the existence of scholarly output, but what that output meant in adjudicative terms. The client had authored 6 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 4 first-authored or co-first-authored papers, and his work had been cited 144 times. In this context, the citation record was important not merely as a number, but as evidence that other researchers had independently relied on his findings in their own work. The petition further highlighted that at least 1 of his papers ranked among the top 10% most cited in its field, and 4 ranked among the top 20% for their publication years, helping show that his influence was measurable relative to field norms rather than presented in raw totals alone.
We also demonstrated the client’s significance through peer trust and professional recognition. He had completed at least 54 peer reviews, which helped show that authoritative journals viewed him as someone qualified to evaluate the work of other researchers. The petition also described how his research had contributed to multiple areas of therapeutic development, including cancer treatment, genetic disease therapy, and other innovative drug discovery pathways, reinforcing that his work was both original and practically relevant.
The case was additionally supported by 2 recommendation letters, including an independent advisory opinion, which provided expert confirmation of the client’s scientific skill set, the importance of his research, and his ability to continue advancing the proposed endeavor. One recommender noted: “These academic and professional experiences have positioned [Client] at the forefront of the drug discovery field.”
We are delighted by this NIW approval and extend our sincere congratulations to the client as he continues contributing to the development of new therapies for patients with limited treatment options.