Success Stories: Biophysics Research Fellow from China Receives EB-1A Petition Approval After We Efficiently Responded to RFE
Client’s Testimonial:
“I am thrilled. Thank you very much for your help. I will definitely sharing my experience on the media and recommend you to all my friends […] Thanks again for your excellent work!”
On March 24th, 2016, we received another EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) approval for a Research Fellow in the Field of Biophysics (Approval Notice).
General Field: Biophysics
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Research Fellow
Country of Origin: China
Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Massachusetts
Approval Notice Date: March 24th, 2016
Processing Time: 3 months, 22 days (Premium Processing Requested)
From the date we submitted our client’s EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) petition to the date he received an approval notice from the USCIS, exactly 3 months and 22 days went by. Despite the short timeframe, many things occurred in between, the biggest of which was the issuance of a Request for Evidence (RFE).
What is an RFE?
An RFE is issued either when an I-140 petition or an I-485 application lacks sufficient evidence, or when the immigration officer requires additional evidence to carry out accurate adjudication. In this case, the USCIS issued an RFE three weeks after we submitted our client’s EB-1A petition on his behalf. We spent a little over two months preparing a strong response to the RFE and were pleased when Texas Service Center ultimately approved our client’s petition. Because we were able to prove the legitimacy of our client’s credentials in a prompt and efficient manner, he is now one step closer to American permanent residency.
What did the EB-1A petition contain?
We went to great lengths to carefully prepare and submit a strong EB-1A petition packet for our client. It contained details on his various accomplishments: his Ph.D. in Physics, his 17 published papers, the 278 citations to his work, and the 40 times he conducted peer reviews for journals and conferences. We also listed his many research ventures on the biophysical effects of nitric oxide and advanced treatments for carbon monoxide poisoning, and demonstrated to the USCIS that his work deepens researchers’ understanding of biological systems. This in turn progresses various fields in the United States, which significantly impacts the health of the economy. To further fortify our EB-1A petition, we counseled our client to contact other experts in his field and ask them for recommendation letters. We needed their support to prove to the USCIS that our client’s insights are valued by other researchers. According to one of these experts: “[Client’s] advanced academic background is certainly related to his ability to complete such outstanding work […] [Client’s] frequent publications, highly cited research, and editorial pursuits denote a researcher of one-of-a-kind expertise. He has few equals in the scientific community, and must be allowed to extend his work without interruption.”
What is the next step?
Now that our client has attained a highly sought-after EB-1A petition approval, he can move on to the final step in the green card process: filing an I-485 application. Once the USCIS approves his application, he will become a permanent resident. We wish him all the best with this step.