Success Story: NIW Approval Without RFE for a Chemical Engineering Researcher Advancing Solid-State Battery Technologies
Client’s Testimonial:
“I had a great experience working with WeGreened on my NIW petition. The team was professional, responsive, and very helpful throughout the entire process. They made everything clear, smooth and straightforward, and I really appreciated their help in addressing all my issues. My case was approved without an RFE, and I couldn't be happier with the result. I would definitely recommend if anyone considering an NIW petition.”
On September 22nd, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Battery Engineer I in the Field of Chemical Engineering (Approval Notice).
General Field: Chemical Engineering
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Battery Engineer I
Country of Origin: China
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: North Carolina
Approval Notice Date: September 22nd, 2026
Processing Time: 1 month, 30 days (Premium Processing Requested)
Case Summary:
"[Client's] domain expertise will be critical to domestic battery manufacturing, national clean-energy supply-chain resilience, and the strategic technological interests of U.S. defense agencies."
This statement is drawn from a recommendation letter highlighting the client’s work in chemical engineering, particularly in advanced battery materials, energy storage technologies, and scalable battery manufacturing.
The client’s work focuses on improving next-generation battery materials and related energy storage technologies. Holding a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, the client sought classification under the EB-2 National Interest Waiver category to continue research aimed at supporting safer, more efficient, and more scalable battery systems for clean energy, transportation, and grid applications.
At the time of filing, the client was employed as a battery engineer in industry, where the client continued work involving solid-state electrolytes, lithium-ion battery materials, interfacial engineering, degradation mechanisms, and advanced battery modeling. The petition connected this current employment to the proposed endeavor by showing that the client’s professional role directly supported the development of safer and more commercially viable battery technologies.
North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) prepared the I-140 NIW petition by presenting the client’s work as a record of technical progress in an area of national importance. Rather than relying on a single achievement, the petition emphasized how the client’s education, current industry role, publication record, citation impact, expert support, federal research support, and future plans collectively showed that the client was well positioned to continue advancing the proposed endeavor.
The client’s record included:
- 4 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 1 first-authored article
- 2 first-authored conference abstracts
- 430 citations to the client’s published work
- 1 recommendation letter from an expert in the field
- Research support connected to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Energy
To demonstrate the client’s significance, NAILG highlighted how independent researchers relied on the client’s findings in later studies involving battery material scale-up, cathode design, electrochemical stability, and next-generation lithium battery performance. These examples helped show that the client’s work had practical value beyond publication and had contributed to how other researchers approach the development and manufacturing of advanced battery materials.
The petition also explained the strength of the client’s citation record in context. One of the client’s papers ranked among the top 1% most-cited Engineering articles for its publication year, while another ranked among the top 20%. This comparative evidence helped demonstrate that the client’s work had received recognition beyond ordinary publication and had been repeatedly relied upon by researchers in chemical engineering and energy storage.
The petition further emphasized the national importance of the proposed endeavor. The client’s work on solid-state electrolyte design, solvent-free fabrication methods, and oxide-based solid-state pouch cell manufacturing was presented as relevant to domestic battery production, electric vehicle deployment, renewable energy integration, and grid-scale energy storage. We also highlighted that the research aligns with federal priorities involving clean energy generation and storage, advanced manufacturing, supply-chain resilience, and national security.
By combining publication impact, citation context, current industry work, federally supported research, expert support, and continued plans in the United States, NAILG demonstrated that the client’s proposed endeavor had substantial merit and national importance and that the client was well positioned to advance it.
USCIS approved the client’s I-140 National Interest Waiver petition without a Request for Evidence through premium processing. This approval supports the client’s continued contributions to chemical engineering, solid-state battery materials, domestic battery manufacturing, and clean energy technologies in the United States.