₦airaland Forum

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.

TinFoil100:
going through the thread, could not help but address this case of ignorance. The 90% based in Nigeria statement is confusing , unnecessary, silly and low yield info at best. It is ignorant statement like this that affects engagement on this thread. I would have expected mary to address this issue better than the lukewarm way it was addressed.Anyways, If you don't want consulate cases here, Visajourney and discord page no far.

Ahan, bros! Worrapen?😀😀. Me sef chop yabbing small for this your anger. Oya don’t be angry.😀🙏🏽

studyless123:
Congratulations on your remarkable achievement! Your unwavering dedication, hard work and commitment have truly paid off. This is a path that have been unexploited by the Nigerian community. We have every reason to compete with the Indian & Chinese folks in this space.
While I fell out of college, I always cringe when I hear of students getting married solely to settle in the US instead of exploring other options.

I have played my part in assisting over 50 students in gaining admissions and a few others through EB visas. I'll encourage you to explore the business opportunities and continue to assist others to take advantage of this opportunity. You can create an online paid appointment scheduling to have a one on one with candidates and progress to the next stage. I would have ventured into it but my hands are full and I've lost touch with recent updates. Make you self chop small money.
Cheers to your accomplishments and I wish you the very best.

Thank you!!!
All points very well noted Sir/Ma.👌🏾🙂

adedammy009:
Glad your card arrived. Was wondering why 10 years when your category is not IR1. Does EB categories get 10 years GC now?

Regarding rendering petition filing services, I understand you might not be ready for that now which is fine. Hopefully, when you do in the future, you will make it public.
Best wishes.

Thanks again!.
Yes, I believe EB categories get a straight 10-year GC, and one can apply for citizenship after 5years or you can choose to keep renewing the GC if not interested in citizenship.

adedammy009:
Congratulations once again on your I-485 approval, and hope your physical green card has arrived.
Are you available to assist or help prospective applicants draft a petition for a fee? I think it isnt a bad thing to consider if you have the time.

Thanks!, 10year Greencard in hand already, I’m still soaking it all in lol, haven’t even had a real celebration per se haha.

@Assisting applicants for a fee; This is a request that I receive time and time again from willing applicants and I might consider sometime in the very near future. However, I’ll say No, AT THIS TIME.
I just think I’ll need to put more “legal” structures in place, especially if I’ll consider going public with a venture like that.🙂

P.S; No be say I no like money oh, cos I see people cashing out big time on this, and they don’t even understand the rudiments of the whole process that well sef, fingers crossed sha🤞🏽😀, I guess I’m just not ready right now.

dest4real:
I was thinking F1 students can concurrently file since a visa number is immediately availability for them.

I am not sure how best to explain this to you but I’ll try.

Visa number availability for EB visas relates to Greencard availability.
Every Fiscal year, congress makes 140,000 greencards available under all of the Employment-based visa categories i.e., EB1 to EB5.

The summary of it is that right now, the number of applicants is significantly more than the number of greencards available. So, USCIS has devised a means to put everyone in line and wait for your turn (this is what priority date comes in).

Hope this was helpful. You can watch videos online to get a better understanding of this. I’ll see if I can put some links here to help you understand.

dest4real:
Good day all,

If you're on F1 visa status, I believe you can opt-in for concurrent filling right?

If you opt-in for concurrent filling, are they going to wait for PD to become current before they begin to work on your file? Or you'll jump the queue?

I need this information please.

Thanks.

You cannot concurrently file for EB2NIW right now because priority date is not current for any country. You can only submit the I-140 application, then wait for when your date of filing becomes current on the visa bulletin, then you can submit the I-485 application.

However, if you qualify for EB1, priority date is still current for all countries (apart from China and India), you can concurrently file for that.

AIT1:
Hi, thanks for the information. Please can I know if your profile is tilted to academics or industry? I can see that we have related endeavor in infectious disease but my job experience is mainly as a Teaching Assistant.

Hi, be it academia or industry, the most important thing is to satisfy the 3 prongs of EB2NIW.

Whatever field of Infectious disease your proposed endeavor is, your work experience is a plus for you. It’s one of the ways you can show that you have adequate knowledge about your endeavor, and you’re well positioned.

NotsonewMary:
To be honest, no they are not. My friend, who only had one recommendation letter in her application got approved some months back, same friend told me she has a colleague who is now a greencard holder (through EB2) who had no recommendation letter attached to his application.

However, my own take is that recommendation letters are highly encouraged, especially if they are coming from reputable persons in your field. Anything you feel or believe will make your case stronger is definitely worth it.

USCIS treats each application on a “case by case” basis, what works for applicant A, might not work for applicant B.

Also on recommendation letters!