scipy:
Hi NotsonewMary
I have a question, i observed there is a mention of having a Bachelors and 5 year work experience in the “specialty” being mentioned in the RFE (they are quoting the criteria anyway).
So since my background is in Electrical engineering, just want to check with you how i could show evidence this degree is related to the field which I’m petitioning for.

I have earlier submitted my transcript and mentioning courses which i offered in school that relates to my endeavor but I wouldn’t know if there is anything else I could explore to tie up this end

Any suggestions are welcome

Hi, I replied yesterday but my profile was temporarily banned by the spambot, I guess because of the links.

Now to your question:

Matching your background with your proposed endeavor is tricky but you can find your way around it by being smart.

You did the right thing by mentioning the computer and IT related courses that you took during your bachelor’s degree in ENGINEERING that are related to your endeavor. (You don’t need to elaborate on the “electrical engineering ” concentration in your petition since it’s not really going to help, you need to work smart!).

Next, you should probably find a way to use the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook to your advantage. See link here; https://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm

Go through all the occupations listed in the engineering and the computer/information technology fields and then decide on which one best requires both engineering and computer/IT educational knowledge to use to argue your case. (Computer Network Architect: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-network-architects.htm, might be a good fit), but you know better, cos IT no be my field lol.

What was your SOC Code on your I-140 form for your proposed endeavor? Did you pick an IT related or engineering related code?

bharkarh:
thank you for this link. I have a master’s degree in finance and accounting + a 6 year accounting work experience. Am I eligible for the EB2NIW?

Hi, apologies for the late response.

Yes, you meet the basic eligibility criteria by possessing an advanced degree (your master’s degree).

However, you still need to satisfy the 3 prong requirements of the national interest waiver (you can read about these 3 prong requirements in previous pages of the thread or check the USCIS policy manual).

What’s next for you is to have a “proposed endeavor”. I’ll recommend that this should be something related to your field such that you can easily relate it to your current and/or past work experience to show that you’re well-positioned to carry out this endeavor.

See links below to give you ideas of endeavors in finance, you can also do a google or YouTube search for more ideas.

-https://www.akinalaw.com/blog/58/eb-2-niw-approved-for-a-client-in-the-field-of-business-and-financial-analytics

-https://eb2niw.info/2023/03/06/eb2-niw-success-story-mohamed-a-finance-expert/
-https://legalservicesincorporated.com/immigration/national-interest-waiver/national-interest-waiver-niw-strategy-for-finance-professionals/

scipy:
Great guide here NotsonewMary, I am very grateful for taking your time to help provide guidance on this.
I would definitely be going this direction as you have stated. I see further opportunity to give more evidences especially on the 5 years of progressive experience. Thanks so much for your response.
I am grateful once again

You’re welcome!, It’s a lot of work and evidence gathering/compiling. I’m rooting for you, you gat this!!.

scipy:
Hehe thanks for this tbh! I honestly am so taken aback by what I am reading in the RFE compared to the petition submitted.
I concede the point where it might have probably also been a case where I did not do a fantastic job on the flow of my story, but then that is where I probably would appreciate a second pair of eyes to read through my content

I will try to respond to your questions as much as I can without giving a longwinded response

1). What was your proposed endeavor? - It was focused on helping to strategise and implement AI and Cloud related projects for organisations in the US

2). What is your highest level of education? (hmm this is another potential wahala tbh) I have a bachelors so used the Bachelors + 5 years progressive experience.

3). Are you currently employed?, if yes? What do you do? Is your current employment related to your proposed endeavor? Currently employed and it is related yes.

4). Did you apply as an advanced degree holder or exceptional ability? I pushed for both and both was faulted, cos I submitted my unofficial copy of wes evaluation for my degree so they faulted my advanced degree, and of course exceptional ability - they were mentioning that I did not submit things which were right there in my exhibits like certifications, recommendation letters etc. I am keen to defend my advanced degree more, as that is well within reach compared to the exceptional ability criteria

5). Is your proposed endeavor of substantial merit/ national importance? If yes? How did you show it? Did you have sufficient government articles to back it up? Did you include these articles as part of your exhibits?
-Economic importance/impact of your proposed endeavor (cost benefits etc)
-Is the US Government making any efforts on the things your proposed endeavor addresses
I did all of these, whitehouse press releases, exec orders, fact sheets etc were all referenced and cited. I spoke about how my endeavor would impact the US economy, create jobs, impact national security etc.

Thanks once again for your words of encouragement and contribution - I am grateful

Hi again @Scipy,

The best way to show you have an advanced degree is to actually have an indisputable advanced degree (Master’s degree or PHD).
Now, USCIS says for those without an actual advanced degree, a Bachelor’s degree + 5 years of progressive experience in that specialty is equivalent to an advanced degree.

In your case, you’re proving two preliminary things;
1.) Foreign bachelor’s degree equivalency, by submitting:
- Your actual bachelor’s degree certificate
- Your transcript from school you received your bachelor’s degree
- Foreign degree equivalency of your degree

Additional evidences that can help are:
- A printed copy of the world ranking of the university you had the degree from or something showing information about your school
- A printed copy of information about WES or the organization that did your degree evaluation
(In response to your RFE, you might want to do another degree evaluation with another independent institution. A friend had to do this when USCIS queried his WES evaluation).
- Did you receive any awards upon graduation/ while in school and have proof of it with your university name boldly written? It could come in handy here as well.

Now, moving to the “at least 5 years of progressive experience”, you have to go all out with showing your evidence. First thing you need to note is that the qualifying years of experience must be post graduation. Only a copy of your CV would not suffice here, you need more proof.
- Did you submit a copy of your dated letters of employment or offer letter
- Are you able to get any proof of employment from the places you’ve worked post graduation?
-Are these places able to attest to your roles and responsibilities while working with them plus show that you worked full-time
- Do you have any letters of promotion/ proof of progress in your speciality? Please note that these letters should have the letterhead of these organizations for authenticity!
- Are you able to submit copies of your pay-stubs from the organization you worked with?
- Did you submit any printed copies of information about the organizations you work/have worked with? To show what they do and how it’s related to your specialty and/or proposed endeavor.

The burden of proof rests on you, and you have to do it well, because USCIS will question those years of experience.

Please see links below for additional pointers:

-https://www.hooyou.com/lc/articles/advanced-degrees.html
-https://immigrationofficesolutions.com/perm-employer-sponsored-green-card/progressive-experience-for-eb2-perm/

If you decide to go with the exceptional ability criterion, then you’ll have to satisfy 3 out of the 6 criteria listed in the USCIS Policy manual.

You need to decide which one you want to go for, i.e., (Advanced Degree or Exceptional Ability) and explicitly state that in your response.

Like I said, you have a strong proposed endeavor. However, no matter how nationally important a proposed endeavor is, you must FIRST satisfy the preliminary eligibility criteria.

Your petition letter must have a good flow with clear sections and subheadings. The first section should be showing your “Eligibility for EB2-NIW Classification”, with subheadings like;
1) Foreign Degree Equivalency
2) Proof of X Years of Work Experience in My Specialty
2a) My work experience at Organization A from year…. to year….
2b) My work at Organization B from …. to …….

Also, when you’re writing about the 3 prong requirements, everything must be well put together and organized, with your exhibits/ evidences properly numbered.

Wish you all the best!

Hi @scipy, I have a couple of thoughts and pointers. Will be back soon today to write once I have some time.

But note these first
1) Your proposed endeavor is a really good one, there’s even a recent executive order from the president to back it up
2) EB2 preliminary qualification is based on having:
- Advanced Degree OR Exceptional Ability

You can’t say you pushed for both and expected the reviewing officer to decide which one it should be, naah!. The onus lies solely on you to decide which one you want to go with.

2) If you decide to go with the advanced degree option, you have A LOT of work to do to convince the officer since you have a Foreign bachelor’s degree ( which will be deeply scrutinized), plus the at least 5 years of PROGRESSIVE work experience, post graduation (emphasis on progressive and post-graduation).
You need to go to town with all your evidences in this regard. It’s not small evidence you’ll show oh my brother/sister lol.

You need a strong and very convincing petition letter with a preponderance of evidence!!, Like, the evidence must choke.

Will be back with some additional pointers.

scipy:
I gave the USCIS a call and they were able to send the RFE document to me via email.

Which leads me to another point -

Is Premium processing = Rushed Shabby Adjudication?

I’d paid for premium processing for my petition and after skimming through the RFE they sent, I must say I am highly disappointed.

There are several references to things which are not related to my profile at all, which appears to be a copy and paste error on the part of the adjudicator.

There were also several mentions of evidences which I already submitted as missing / not submitted.

Overall it appears there was no careful read-through of my petition and this is VERY disappointing.

Really gives me concern that even if I take the effort to respond to this RFE, will they carefully consider it on its merit and not do some rushed shabby work again?

I am really concerned and conflicted at this point whether to let the EB2 dream go or give it one last try!

I would welcome any viewpoints of people who have faced similar issues before or have any useful guidance.

Thanks in anticipation!

Hmmmm…..

I have so many thoughts to share on this, and I’m afraid I can’t put it all into writing.

I’m almost tempted to ask you to send me your initial petition letter and the RFE document for a review: but I don’t want to start what I can’t finish (and time is money!).

I have a couple of questions though, and this will inform my next steps of tips/“guidance” for you.
1). What was your proposed endeavor?
2). What is your highest level of education?
3). Are you currently employed?, if yes? What do you do? Is your current employment related to your proposed endeavor?
4). Did you apply as an advanced degree holder or exceptional ability?
5). Is your proposed endeavor of substantial merit/ national importance? If yes? How did you show it? Did you have sufficient government articles to back it up? Did you include these articles as part of your exhibits?
-Economic importance/impact of your proposed endeavor (cost benefits etc)
-Is the US Government making any efforts on the things your proposed endeavor addresses e.g if your proposed endeavor is on HIV prevention, you need to show articles on HIV prevention strategies/efforts already in place by the US government and provide congress or presidential articles to back it up
- Did you provide useful statistics/economic burden of whatever it is you’re proposing?

6). Did you correctly highlight your points on how you’re well positioned to carry out your proposed endeavor and provide supporting evidence for it.
-Education/Skills
-Successful past work similar to or related to your endeavor ( any awards/publications/prizes etc)
- Certifications related to your proposed endeavor
- Evidence or proof that you plan to continue to work in the field of your proposed endeavor
- Track record to show that you’re committed to continually improving your knowledge in the area of your proposed endeavor (Are you currently working in that field, are you taking any courses, membership in professional associations etc)
- Has your past work garnered the interest of users, customers etc (if you have publications, you can show proof of citations etc, you can show proof of collaborations with others in the field etc)
- Did you get letters of recommendation from supervisors you’ve worked with in the past that can vouch for you and your work?


See, NIW petition letter has a pattern to it, it’s almost like you’re writing a story, you must CLEARLY express your points. How you highlight your points and your exhibits to the adjudicating officer is very crucial!!. They have lots of petitions to review per day!.
Use subheadings, bullet points etc where necessary, bolden your points or use catchy colored fonts where necessary. You can even add images where necessary to drive home your points!

As a rule (for me); the first two pages of your petition letter should already let the officer know what your proposed endeavor is and how you’re well-positioned to carry out this endeavor!.

Did you include a list of all your exhibits? See, you have to make the job easy for the officer!. Did you properly label your exhibits? I always advise people to use colored printing, not just black and white (this is my personal preference though).

There’s so much more I want to write, but I’ll have to know the specifics of your application to give proper guidance.

Please relax, take your time (you don’t have much of it though, cos you only have 90 days to respond), calm your head and write convincingly again!

Print out the USCIS Policy manual for EB2NIW and Matter of Dhanasar (Read both of these very well!!), let it be your guide.

I wish you all the very best!, and Yes, you’ll have to respond. DO NOT GIVE UP PLEASE.🙏🏽

scipy:
Thanks for your response.
Shipping address is in the UK
I am yet to receive my initial receipt notice which must have been shipped since March 13 or so, that gives an indication either they aren’t delivering internationally or it’s very slow

Hmmm, I think you should call USCIS to confirm the address it was shipped to (to be sure it’s the correct address).
I’m pretty sure it was sent as international standard shipping, which could take weeks to be delivered.

scipy:
Hi everyone

I recently applied and got an RFE
But my mailing address is not in the US
I am concerned the shipping to my address might be very slow.
Should I wait it out and see if I’ll receive it in mail or use the address change option on USCIS website to change to a US address?
Asking because time is of the essence to respond to the RFE

1. What country is your shipping address?
2. How long did it take before you received the initial receipt notice?

You should probably wait to see if you’ll receive it by mail. If not received within the anticipated timeframe , you can then contact the USCIS/go ahead with the change of address. A change of address right now will likely not have an effect on the RFE notice that was already mailed out to you.

PearlnPearl:
You will need someone to help you make the payment within the US. That's what I did. I applied from Nigeria with no lawyer.
I wish you the best of luck as you start the journey to get your LPR.

Thank you for responding to him, so sorry that I couldn’t respond on time @Adnman, I felt someone that completed the process from outside the US will be better suited to give you an accurate answer.

To answer your question about address to send to, I think that is dependent on if you’re using premium processing, and also the location (State) of your proposed work. I am not sure if there’s a specific address denoted by USCIS for people applying from outside of the US.

See here: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/direct-filing-addresses-for-form-i-140-immigrant-petition-for-alien-worker

AIT1:


Please, can you help clarify if there are restrictions on Green Card issued to someone through NIW. Must the person always be in the same profession or research as the proposed endeavor? Will there be a problem for someone if he switches job or research after getting the GC?

Hmmm, this is a dicey question that comes up often. I am not certain that USCIS does any follow up or keep tabs on an applicant’s professional track post green-card approval. And the likelihood that a person who has satisfied all the immediate requirements of the NIW (and met all the required professional qualifications) will become dependent on public funds and not contribute to the economic growth of the US is very slim.

Here’s what I usually advise people, while filling the I-140 form, pick a broader category as your SOC Code, here: https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/major_groups.htm

For example; In my case, my proposed endeavor and occupation had to do with working as an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, there is a specific occupation code for Epidemiologists on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, but I did not choose that, I went for the broader category occupational code for medical scientists (which covers for epidemiologists, physicians, pathologists etc doing research related work). That way, I am not boxing myself up into a narrow field or just my immediate proposed endeavor. Should I decide to spread my tentacles and do other things with my career in the near or far future, I should be good to go!.

NOTE: Please try to maintain the same profession AT LEAST till you get your greencard, I watched a video on YouTube where a guy mentioned that the USCIS interviewing officer noted this and gave him kudos for still maintaining the same profession as his proposed endeavor while conducting his greencard interview.

I hope this is helpful, Goodluck!😊

Danjd:


Please my name is Daniel , I need someone that will help me with trusted nigeria immigration lawyer that’s good to handle eb2 niw waiver , I have bsc and masters , I also need a telegram or WhatsApp channel for eb2 niw , please help a brother my email address is techxpert1893@gmail.com thanks

I’m not really sure why you are particular about a Nigerian immigration lawyer. The goal should be any lawyer that can deliver an excellent job, I would think.

Anyways, you can check out @Olaleyeimmigration on Instagram. I’ve followed her page for almost 2 years now, and I know she knows her onions!

AIT1:


Hi ma’am, please I really need Independent Recommenders.🙏🙏

Hi, apologies for the late response!

I’m not really sure where I come in here. I’m afraid that I’m unable to provide a recommendation at this time for personal reasons.

Note: I don’t know who sold this idea of independent recommenders to people. All my recommenders were people that I had a professional (academic/work-related) relationship with.

Glowing1:
Can anyone recommend any professional bodies I can join please as a data analyst? I would appreciate every suggestion on this.
Thanks in advance

Have you heard of google?😐😋

https://www.purdue.edu/science/careers/build_professional_profile/professional_orgs/data_science_orgs.html

unibadan:
Hello Everyone,

I am a newbie. Just need clarification on the advanced degree for the EB2-NIW.

My question is that I have MSc Finance and BSc Statistics. My job duties in the last 10 years has been in data science field with current 5 years in government establishment as a data scientist. I am planning to go through route of Advanced Degree (MSc Finance). Does the MSc degree have to relate to:

1. My work experience? or
2. the proposed endeavour?

Thank you.

What is your proposed endeavor to start with. Data science, statistics and analytics cuts across almost every field you can think of, especially finance!. There’s a lot of analyzing and making data driven decisions in finance. Just look for a way to phrase your proposed endeavor and petition letter in a way that it makes your degrees and work experience align.

See attached pic

hustla:



Hello Bro,

Did you pay £150 for this or the £25 membership fee?

Hi, just thought to let you know that generally, with EB2, you can do the minimum membership requirements for any professional society you belong. I’m not sure what this computer society membership you were asking about entails though. But if with the £25 option, you can get some sort of proof of membership, you might want to go with that.

koreanlord:
Hello guys, I am in the third year of my PHD...

Would it be necessary to also add the evaluated copy of my PhD transcript? Cos It seems as though uncompleted programs could be evaluated on the IEE portal

Should i just send only my masters documents to uscis?

Cc Adedammy009
NotsonewMary

I agree with Olig’s response to you.

“ USCIS may grant a national interest waiver as a matter of discretion if the petitioner demonstrates eligibility by a preponderance of the evidence”

The above is quoted from the EB2NIW policy manual, this should be your guide.

There is nothing like too much of evidence with USCIS. The fact that you’re in a PHD program (and yes, you need to include the evidence) is one of the reasons to show that you’re academically well positioned to carry out your proposed endeavor (2nd prong), you can also use that to make a case in the 3rd prong that you have a unique educational background/knowledge that may not be highlighted if you were to go through the labor certification process where only the minimum qualifications are required.

Include as much evidence as you can that can help your case!

https://www.zllawoffice.com/

I HIGHLY recommend this law firm. I’ve seen a copy of their work.

DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliations whatsoever with the firm. Please make your own personal findings if you choose to engage in any business relationship with the firm. Thanks!

skybeginner:


Good day everyone. Please anyone has an idea about Kameli Law and their success rates for processing EB2-NIW? I'll appreciate all the feedback I can get. Thank you

Hi!, Never heard of the firm, so I am not in the best capacity to provide a review. You could schedule a consultation for an initial review of your case with the firm, from your conversation during the meeting, you likely should be able to judge if they know their onions about the process or not.

All the best!

dest4real:
Thank you for your response.

I have honestly gone to read up after I read your initial write-up. I really understand the whole process now, save one; I can see that the "final action date" is backlogged for about 14 months. I want to believe that the final action date is always set by the US government based on the number of green cards available per year, is this correct please?

Again, I've a fall admission for a PhD program in the US. I recently applied for F1 Visa. I was going to file EB-2 NIW application (I've 25 publications and about 78 citations) using premium service before the admission offer came through. But I fear that it may affect my F1 Visa interview if I go ahead to file 1-140 form now. What do you suggest please?

Hmmm, apologies for the delay in responding to this.

Final action date gets “updated” by USCIS on the monthly visa bulletin (that’s why you see us looking forward to it every month). Because the date is what determines when it’s a petitioner’s turn ‘on the line’ to get a greencard, and yes it is based on the number of greencards available per X. (X is time/period determined by USCIS based on several factors, calculations/predictions).

Now to the second and more important part of your question. I’ll say you need to weigh your pros and cons very very carefully!

The F-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa. There was a very recent update to the international student visa categories, (see here; https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-updates-policy-guidance-for-international-students). Some lawyers have interpreted this guidance to mean that the F-1 visa is now a dual intent visa (i.e, you can now show immigrant intention at the time of obtaining the visa). Please read the guidance carefully, and draw YOUR own conclusion.

Also, don’t forget that when filling the DS-160 form for your F-1 visa application, you’ll need to answer truthfully, if you have any pending and/or approved immigrant petition(s).

Will this jeopardize your F-1 visa interview? I honestly cannot accurately answer this, seeing that visa interviews are highly subjective!. I have heard of people with pending immigrant petitions being approved for a non-immigrant visa. So, the ball is in your court!

I hope this write up will provide some additional clarity and guide your decision making. All the best!.

Fusion23:


Thanks someone finally gets my question...so aside from the anxiety of knowing if your petition would be approved...with the current priority date was it worth is paying premium processiong and getting the approval in few days?

Well, if you’re asking for my honest opinion, I’ll say “No, it wasn’t”😄.

But then again, from a medical perspective, anxiety and anxiety-related disorders could manifest in different grades for certain individuals. If an individual knows that the anxiety that comes from a long wait is detrimental to their health…..and the additional cost is not a problem, premium processing could be an answer, cos peace of mind is worth every penny.

Also, I’ve heard someone say they’ll rather go for premium processing so that should there be a denial of the petition, they can quickly submit another application and secure a new priority date on time.🤷🏽‍♀️

TinFoil100:

DM zelle or account info for panera or chipotle lunch. Serious no audio!!

Awww, TinFoil with the dollarzzzz oh.🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

marshallkowope:
Hello
Followed the thread from start to end
I have also skimmed through the documents and publicly available information

I do have a few questions ,i’lld be grateful to have answered.
My background is BSC computer science(Nigeria ) ,MSC Finance(Uk),my master’s thesis was based on blockchain but it isn’t published or reworked.
Work experience-some but not significant (e.g internships,lesser known companies)
Age 24

1) I saw that some stem degrees have some advantages based on the National Science and Technology Council’s Critical and Emerging Technologies List Update 2022
My masters degree and thiesis …are based on and covers
Financial Technologies
• Distributed ledger technologies
• Digital assets
• Digital payment technologies
• Digital identity infrastructure

Based on this can I apply on basis of this right away…or I have to work on reworking my thiesis and co authoring some relevant papers in the coming months


If I can apply right away.would reworking and publishing my thesis make a stronger case


2)I checked the visa bulletin for February..it says filing date is something like 15/feb/2023

Does this mean that it’s not worth it to do premium processing for consular processing since backlog is already a year behind and I-140 takes 10-11months to come out with regular processing

Also is there a scope to the visa bulletin something I saw something about applying before fiscial year ends or once it begins .

3) lastly with regards to lawyer
Does applying with a lawyer have significant difference compared to doing self research and applying for one’s self.
Basically is the lawyer fee worth it or it’s something that can be easily done with self research

Thank you very much in advance

So, what are you proposing as your endeavor??. You need to write that in layman’s terms.

You can check @eb2niw page on Instagram for ideas on how to compose a clear and concise proposed endeavor. (see images attached)

In my opinion, premium processing is not worth it at this time because wait times are crazy right now. But if you have extra $2500 that you’re not using, why not! lol. You’ll get a decision quicker plus have peace of mind.
Please note that average processing time for regular I-140 for EB2NIW (without premium processing) is now 3 to 4 months, I’ve even seen some approval in 2 months. Also, premium processing fees will be increasing sometime in February. I don’t have time to check the exact details of the new fees, but it’s sha less than $3k.

Asking if a lawyers fee is worth it or not is subjective. If you’re confident about completing the process by yourself, go for it and save yourself the extra attorney fees. If not, then get all the assistance you need!. The most important thing is to get your petition approved.

Lastly, you can attach your unpublished thesis as part of your application packet , you can note that work is in progress on getting it published. However, if you get a chance to get it published before you put in your application that’s great too.

TinFoil100:


Madame Mary i no vex again at the same time i no fit vex for you. Apologies if you caught the stray while addressing the issue , it was intentional . Great to hear about completion of your process, will send some fayrouz your way.

Haha @It was intentional. I like you already!🤣🤣
Please I don’t want fayrouz oh, Dollarzzz ni mo fe, should I send akant details?😌

Koldfuzhion:


The interview went well, I received the visa approval. I got to the Lagos consulate 30mins before the interview time. The CGI folks checked my appointment letter to ensure that I was scheduled for the day. Once confirmed, I was allowed in and told to arrange my documents in the order described in the interview invitation mail.

When I got into the visa hall. I was initially called for document verification at a window. All of my original documents were collected including my original school certificates. These were compared with the information that I submitted to NVC which had been mailed to them.

Once done, I was told to sit and wait till my number was called. There was no particular order to the way that applicants were called for the interview with the consular officers. After an hour, I was called by one of the officers.Below are some of the questions he asked:

Have you ever lived in any other country for more than 6 months?
Are you currently employed and where do you work?
How many years of experience do you have?
Where are you going to in the US and what are you going to do there?
Do you have any professional certifications along with your academic credentials?
Have you ever changed your name?
Do you have other dependents that aren't applying with you?

Once he was done with his notes, he mentioned that I had been approved and he gave me a white slip. He held on to my passport, but returned all my original documents that I had submitted during the initial screening.

The main takeaway is that even though the consular officer is not readjudicating the petition, they're validating the legitimacy of the application from an immigration perspective.

Most importantly, ensure that you're consistent in all of the information provided, as I saw a lot of people get entangled by providing inconsistent or incomplete information to the consular which led to the dreaded 221g refusal.

Wishing you all the best in your journey.

Congratulations!!🎉🎊🎈🍾

We need more of these on this thread.

lasisig5:
Good morning everyone, I’m 33 years live in United Kingdom , I hold MSc in public health, I’m interested in the EB-2 visa, I hope my age won’t disqualify me or it doesn’t have anything to do with age.

Nope! even if you’re 80yo you can apply as long as you can show proof that your current/future work will benefit the United States significantly i.e., in the national interest of the US, and that you’re well positioned (through your proven record of success etc) to carry out that work.

Please note that having an advanced degree ALONE is not enough grounds to qualify.

koreanlord:
Hello sis... If I live outside of USA, where will I send my documents to? I live in Asia FYI

See information on filing your form I-140 and accompanying documents here:
https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/direct-filing-addresses-for-form-i-140-immigrant-petition-for-alien-worker

Fusion23:
Hello folks ,

I just got my EB 2 NIW petition approved,

Paid premium processing so it was approved in 5 days.

Can someone please enlighten me on the process lenght ?

My priority date is Jan 14 , 2024..
whats next ..do I just keep waiting ..seems the EB2 NIW is a long long wait time.

Yes, you’re right!, long long wait time🙃. The next thing for you is patience, brace up cos you’ll need A LOT of it seeing that your priority date is only January 14, 2024.

Congrats on your approval!, the next stage is NVC processing and then your case will be sent to the American embassy in Canada, they’ll be reaching out to you in due time.

mechango:
Hi Friends,

Any idea on what a Trump presidency would mean for this category of visa. I am afraid that he might win the Nov'24 election. This is also because of his pronouncement on a clampdown on immigration, whether legal or illegal.

What are your thoughts, colleagues?

Oga, just do your own and leave Trump or whoever wins in 2024. I think he even likes NIW sef😀, seems he believes a legal immigration path should be such that it is pulling the best brains.

During the height of the lockdown in April 2020, when Trump was president and he made á proclamation putting a pause on several immigration pathways, one of the exceptions on that list was NIW.
See link here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/27/2020-09068/suspension-of-entry-of-immigrants-who-present-a-risk-to-the-united-states-labor-market-during-the

One thing you should know is that the US will prioritize any program or pathway determined by the DHS/USCIS to be of national interest.

Hope this helps.😊

Chynwe:
Thank you for the reply.You can start your services if you are really good at it.

🤔🤔🤞🏽🤞🏽. We shall see…

Chynwe:
Thank you all for the options for evaluation given here.Please who has used Dr.Ozi petition drafting services?I want to know their fees for that service.Has anyone here used them?

Ozi is great! I can vouch for her. I didn’t use her personally but I have referred people to her in the past. She’s very thorough with her petition letter writing.

Her fees have really increased though, as expected! (It’s NIW cash out season!!, na only me dey jonz for this cash out lol). Anyways, prepare your mind for nothing less than $6k. As of October/Nov 2022, she charged a friend $4k.