Success Story: NIW Approved Despite RFE! We Helped a Postdoctoral Researcher Secure Success
Client’s Testimonial:
"Thank you to the Chen team for helping us through the NIW process. We especially appreciated their guidance during the RFE stage. The process was stressful, but they were responsive, professional, and helped us put together a strong response. We are very happy with the outcome and grateful for their support.”
On June 11th, 2026, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Field of Inorganic Chemistry (Approval Notice).
General Field: Inorganic Chemistry
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Postdoctoral Researcher
Country of Origin: China
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Texas
Approval Notice Date: June 11th, 2026
Processing Time: 7 months, 8 days (Premium Processing Upgrade Requested)
Case Summary:
We are pleased to share that the client’s I-140 National Interest Waiver petition was approved after receiving a Request for Evidence. The client holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and works in the field of inorganic chemistry, with research centered on catalytic systems and molecular-level processes for addressing environmental and energy-related challenges.
Research Focus
The client’s proposed endeavor was to continue developing innovative catalytic systems that can transform small, environmentally persistent molecules, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, into valuable or benign products. We presented this work as important to sustainable energy, environmental protection, green chemical production, public health, and U.S. technological leadership.
The client is currently conducting research in a university setting, where the client continues work on molecular electrocatalysis, pollutant transformation, and earth-abundant transition metal complexes. This current research aligned closely with the proposed endeavor and helped show that the client was already actively advancing the same work described in the NIW petition.
Evidence of Professional Record
The client’s publication record included 11 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 5 first-authored articles and 2 co-first-authored articles. The client’s published work had received 136 citations, reflecting use by other researchers in areas such as catalyst design, oxygen reduction, ammonia synthesis, and pollutant removal. The client had also completed at least 26 peer reviews, which helped demonstrate that the field recognized the client’s technical expertise and trusted the client to evaluate scholarly work by other researchers.
We did not argue that these metrics alone were enough. Instead, the petition explained how an adjudicator could reasonably view the record as evidence of field-level influence because several of the client’s articles were cited at notably high rates when compared with other chemistry papers from the same publication years. This helped place the citation count in context and showed that the client’s work had attracted meaningful attention within the field.
How We Demonstrated Significance
The petition focused on the practical significance of the client’s research. We showed that the client’s work contributed to the design of catalytic systems for cleaner chemical production, more efficient pollutant transformation, and improved approaches to persistent environmental contaminants. The evidence also demonstrated that independent researchers had used the client’s findings to guide later studies involving nitrogen reduction and sustainable energy conversion.
In the RFE response, we emphasized that the client’s significance came from the connection between the proposed endeavor and the client’s established record of progress. The client’s research was not presented as a general chemistry interest, but as a focused effort to address nationally important problems through green chemistry, environmental remediation, and sustainable molecular engineering.
Why the Case Met the NIW Standard
For the first NIW prong, we showed that the proposed endeavor had substantial merit and national importance because it addressed environmental protection, public health, clean energy, and sustainable industrial practices. For the second prong, we demonstrated that the client was well-positioned through advanced training, peer-reviewed publications, citation impact, peer-review service, and ongoing research directly tied to the endeavor. For the third prong, we argued that waiving the job offer and labor certification requirements would benefit the United States because the client’s specialized work requires flexibility, continued research activity, and broad dissemination beyond a single employer.
Approval
By presenting the client’s work as a nationally important green chemistry endeavor and by connecting the client’s credentials and ongoing research to demonstrated scientific influence, we showed that the client met the NIW standard. We congratulate the client on this I-140 NIW approval and wish the client continued success in advancing sustainable chemistry and environmental protection research in the United States.