WeGreened Approval Statistics: Week of February 16, 2026

During the week of February 16 to February 22, 2026, WeGreened received 105 approval notices from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Of the 105 approvals, 79 were for NIW (National Interest Waiver), 21 for EB1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), 4 for EB1B (Outstanding Professors or Researchers), and 1 for O1A (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement).

NIW again represented the majority of approvals, while EB1A remained steady among petitioners whose records could be presented as sustained, field-recognized excellence under a totality-of-the-evidence review.

EB1A and NIW Credential Analysis

EB1A petitioners this week showed concentrated impact metrics. Publications ranged from 5 to 60 (Q1: 13, median: 19, Q3: 27), and citations ranged from 46 to 1,369 (Q1: 342, median: 435, Q3: 654). Even with variation at the high end, approvals continued to cluster around profiles that can be framed as sustained influence and recognition under final merits review.

NIW petitioners reflected a broader spectrum of credential profiles. Publications ranged from 2 to 64 (Q1: 7, median: 10, Q3: 14.5), and citations ranged from 10 to 15,433 (Q1: 59.25, median: 107, Q3: 281.75). Compared with EB1A, NIW again showed a wider spread across both publications and citations, reinforcing that approvals can include both earlier-stage records and more established profiles when the petition clearly frames national importance, credible forward momentum, and future U.S. benefit.

Insights on Petitioner Backgrounds and Fields

EB1A approvals this week leaned strongly toward AI/CS/data-facing specialties, alongside biomedical/health, engineering, and physical sciences. Employment backgrounds also reflected a notable industry share, reinforcing that EB1A is not confined to academia when field-recognized excellence can be demonstrated through objective, externally verifiable proof.

NIW approvals spanned biomedical and health sciences, AI/software and data-driven work, and multiple engineering tracks. Many NIW petitioners were on research-intensive pathways such as PhD student, postdoctoral, or research roles, with a meaningful subset in industry. Across these profiles, the strongest NIW outcomes tended to be those where the endeavor was defined with precision, the record showed concrete progress, and the petition explained how a waiver would expand U.S. benefit through flexibility and scale.

Highlighted EB1A Case: Industry AI and Optimization Leader Approved with 46 Citations

One notable EB1A approval this week involved an industry-based applied AI and optimization leader whose work centered on large-scale experimentation reliability, causal measurement, and network-level optimization in high-impact production environments. The record included 8 publications and 46 citations, and the case was filed with premium processing and approved in 15 days.

Strategically, we organized the filing under the two-part Kazarian framework and built the petition around field-appropriate evidence that USCIS officers can evaluate clearly even when academic metrics are not the core story. For the original contributions prong, we framed a production-deployed, reliability-focused experimentation framework as a major industry contribution, supported by objective indicators of adoption and corroborating documentation. We strengthened the judging criterion with a substantial peer-review record, supported scholarly authorship through publications in selective venues, and reinforced the leading/critical role element by tying responsibility to high-stakes, large-scale initiatives. We also supported the high salary criterion with market benchmarking evidence.

Third-party validation was a key lever in this filing. Our firm drafted four recommendation letters, including one dependent recommender and three independent recommenders, designed to establish field context, validate the technical significance of the work, and reinforce why the overall record supports EB1A under final merits. We then consolidated these elements into a cohesive narrative emphasizing sustained, externally recognizable impact and trusted field standing in an applied, non-academic setting.

This case reinforces that EB1A can succeed for industry-forward profiles when the petition selects the strongest objective indicators of field trust and organizes them into a clear criterion-by-criterion record with a persuasive final-merits synthesis.

Adjudication Trends and Policy Observations

EB1A approvals this week again hinged on a compelling final merits showing. Citation totals varied substantially, and this dataset included an EB1A approval at the lowest citation end of the week’s EB1A range, reinforcing that citations can be helpful but not determinative when the record clearly documents field-trust indicators such as credible gatekeeping roles, external validation, and leading/critical contributions with measurable real-world significance.

NIW approvals continued to reflect broad flexibility across disciplines and career stages, spanning from the low end of citations through one extreme high-citation outlier at the top end. Across the batch, the consistent throughline remained unchanged: the strongest NIW outcomes tracked best to petitions that precisely define a nationally important endeavor, present organized and concrete evidence showing the petitioner is well positioned, and clearly explain how a waiver expands U.S. benefit through flexibility, collaboration, and scale.

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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 Sixty-four Thousand I-140 Approvals Provide Unprecedented Insight into the USCIS Adjudication Trend

With nearly 64,000 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 Tens of 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 nearly 64,000 in 2025.

Track Record of Success EB-1 and NIW Approvals

(2020.01 - 2024.12)

Category	Approval or Refund^®		Approval or Refiling^TM
Category	Approved Sum	Success Rate	Approved Sum	Success Rate
NIW	28,946	99.52%	3,030	98.31%
EB1A	4,322	91.76%	2,870	88.91%
EB1B	793	98.51%	236	90.77%
Total	34,061	98.44%	6,136	93.39%