Success Story: NIW Victory Despite RFE! Our Firm Helped an Iranian PhD Candidate & Research Assistant Secure Success

Client’s Testimonial:

“I truly appreciate all the work you’ve done to successfully approve my case.”

On June 25^th, 2025, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a PhD student and Research Assistant in the Field of Environmental Engineering (Approval Notice).

General Field: Environmental Engineering

Position at the Time of Case Filing: PhD student and Research Assistant

Country of Origin: Iran

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Maryland

Approval Notice Date: June 25^th, 2025

Processing Time: 14 months

Case Summary:

North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) is pleased to announce the approval of an I-140 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition for an environmental engineering expert focused on climate-driven water resource management. The petition was approved in June 2025 following a Request for Evidence (RFE). Our client’s extensive work addressing the effects of climate change on critical water systems made her a strong candidate under the EB-2 NIW category.

Advancing Climate Resilience through Water Resource Research

Our client’s proposed endeavor centers on elucidating the effects of climate change on environmental phenomena to improve preparedness for groundwater and surface water issues, as well as extreme events such as droughts and floods. Her research provides advanced hydrologic models that help communities and governments adapt to shifting water availability and quality. By improving forecasting methods and modeling climate impacts, she contributes directly to more sustainable water management and infrastructure planning.

We demonstrated that her work holds both substantial merit and national importance, as it supports vital sectors including public health, disaster mitigation, and agriculture, all deeply affected by climate variability. In a time of growing environmental uncertainty, her contributions help equip decision-makers with critical tools for climate resilience.

Proven Record of Scholarly Influence

To support the petition, our legal team outlined a clear and compelling case for our client’s qualifications. She has authored:

5 peer-reviewed journal articles
1 peer-reviewed conference article
1 accepted conference article

These works have been cited 73 times, according to Google Scholar. Her publications have gained recognition for addressing real-world issues such as regional drought management, groundwater flow simulations, and sustainable irrigation planning. Her scholarship continues to shape the academic and policy landscapes related to climate adaptation and water resource planning.

Reason for RFE: Misclassification of Petition

The RFE was issued because USCIS mistakenly evaluated her EB-2 NIW petition under the EB-1A “extraordinary ability” criteria, claiming she lacked proof of “original contributions of major significance.” This misclassification caused them to overlook the proper Matter of Dhanasar standard and disregard evidence showing her work’s substantial merit, national importance, and her strong ability to advance it.

Approval Reflects National Need for Expertise

Thanks to the detailed and strategic preparation by NAILG, this NIW petition was approved 14 months after filing, despite a Request for Evidence. The approval affirms the value of our client’s ongoing contributions to environmental engineering and climate resilience. Her expertise will continue to benefit U.S. interests in infrastructure planning, sustainability, and disaster mitigation.

We are honored to have supported this client’s successful petition and look forward to the continued impact of her work on water resource sustainability and climate preparedness.

North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) is a U.S. immigration law firm dedicated to representing corporations, research institutions, and individuals from all 50 U.S. states regarding I-140 immigration petitions. We specialize in employment-based immigration petition and have a proven record of high success rate for the categories of: EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver), EB1-A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), EB1-B (Outstanding Researcher/Professor) and O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability).

Our Ten Thousand I-140 Approvals Provide Unprecedented Insight into the USCIS Adjudication Trend

With more than 58,000 EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW and O-1 cases approved, we have first hand information on the manner in which the USCIS adjudicate I-140 cases. As the USCIS has constantly changed its adjudication standards for the EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-2 NIW categories, our firm's huge database of successful cases gives you unprecedented insight to USCIS adjudication trends. We carefully analyze the data for all of our cases and apply the results of our analyses toward giving our clients up-to-date advice and adapting our strategies such that we remain on par with the ever-shifting landscape of immigration law in the U.S. With us, you will always have access to important updates, strategies, and information so that you can make the most informed decisions about your case.

We Have Helped Hundreds and Thousands of Clients with Credentials and Backgrounds Similar to Yours

With our exceedingly large number of successful petitions, no matter what credentials you have, no matter your background and field of expertise, no matter your visa status or nationality, chances are we have helped hundreds or even thousands of clients just like you. Our clients are usually impressed with how well we understand their research and work. Our insight and understanding stems from the fact that we have handled many cases with elements similar to yours already, and this helps us devise the best strategies for each individual petition.

Vast Majority of Clients Came to Us Because of Referrals

For years, our firm has attracted new clients based solely on word of mouth, recommendations, and the positive collaboration experiences shared with them by their friends and family. We take pride in our reputation and work hard to ensure that we provide a green card application experience that our clients are happy to share with their friends and colleagues. That is how our cumulative total of approved cases grew from 600 in 2013 to over 58,000 in 2025.