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.