WeGreened Approval Statistics: Week of January 19, 2026

During the week of January 19 to January 25, 2026, WeGreened received 79 approval notices from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Of the 79 approvals, 55 were for NIW (National Interest Waiver), 22 for EB1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), 1 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 strong 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 1 to 66 (Q1: 16, median: 18.5, Q3: 26), and citations ranged from 0 to 1,700 (Q1: 174.75, median: 376.5, Q3: 935.75). Even with some variation, approvals clustered around profiles that can be argued as sustained influence and recognition under final merits review.

NIW petitioners reflected a broader spectrum of credential profiles. Publications ranged from 2 to 78 (Q1: 7, median: 10, Q3: 14.5), and citations ranged from 17 to 7,346 (Q1: 89, median: 200, Q3: 375.5). Compared with EB1A, NIW showed a wider spread across both publications and citations, consistent with how NIW approvals can encompass both earlier-stage and more established records 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 were distributed across biomedical and health-related work, computer/data-facing specialties, and engineering-adjacent areas, with a meaningful share involving industry-facing roles.

NIW approvals spanned biomedical and health sciences, AI/software and data-driven work, and multiple engineering tracks, with many petitioners in research-intensive pathways and a substantial subset in industry.

Highlighted EB1A Case: EB1A Approved in 18 Days for a Public Psychiatry Physician With Zero Citations

One notable EB1A approval this week involved a public psychiatry physician working in a clinical academic role. What makes this case stand out is that the profile did not rely on citation metrics, even though the record included a substantial publication history. The case was filed with premium processing and approved in 18 days(approval date: January 16, 2026).

Strategically, we organized the petition under the two-part Kazarian framework and built the evidentiary story around field-appropriate markers of extraordinary ability. We emphasized the petitioner’s role in advancing equitable mental health service delivery and workforce development, supported by strong third-party validation through four expert recommendation letters. We also documented judging activity, selective recognition, and leadership in mission-critical initiatives within reputable institutions, then tied those criteria together in a final-merits narrative showing sustained acclaim and field-recognized impact in public psychiatry.

This outcome is a useful reminder that EB1A can succeed even when academic citation metrics are not the centerpiece, as long as the record is documented with credible, objective indicators and presented in a cohesive final-merits narrative.

Adjudication Trends and Policy Observations

This week’s data again reflect that EB1A adjudication turns on final merits: meeting three criteria is the entry point, but approvals align best with records that clearly add up to sustained acclaim under the totality of the evidence. A notable takeaway in this batch is the presence of a zero-citation EB1A approval, reinforcing that officers can credit non-citation proof when external recognition, judging, leadership, and consequential contributions are documented cleanly and persuasively.

NIW approvals again spanned diverse disciplines and career stages, and the premium processing pattern remained consistent with recent weeks: upgrades after filing were more common than upfront requests (especially in NIW). Across the dataset, the clearest driver of approval remained the same: a tightly defined nationally important endeavor, organized evidence showing the petitioner is well positioned, and a persuasive explanation of why a waiver advances 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 Ten 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%