Processing Flow of EB1-A

1. Submit a free evaluation request online

Please send us your resume and your basic information by submitting a free evaluation request online. Please click here.

2. Receiving response from our principal attorney personally

Our attorneys, will respond to your email personally, analyze your qualifications and provide you with an honest appraisal of the likelihood of successful petition. North America Immigration Law Group has developed a carefully-designed criteria test based on the law and opinions of the USCIS, Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), judicial review opinions and our experience. We review your qualifications for EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability classification in the context of the criteria test and our principal attorney's evaluation.

3. Two results of your case appraisal

A. You are qualified for EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability:

If after our careful case study, you are qualified for the category of EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability, you are eligible to our guaranteed service package: 50% Payment is due upon you sending back the signed Retainer Agreement, and you get full refund if the petition gets denied.

B. You are not qualified for EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability:

If after our evalution, the likelihood of having your case approved under the category of EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability is not high, we will discuss alternatives immigration benefits you may pursue.

Considering other immigrant visa categories: If we decide you are not qualified for EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability, we will explain alternative immigration benefits to you, including but not limited to, EB1-B Outstanding Professors or Researchers (if you have research institute/university employer as your sponsor), EB-2 NIW National Interest Waiver (Many people who are not qualified for EB1-A may be qualified for NIW, which AAO has decided to have a lower threshold concerning achievements and abilities).

4. Further communication

After receiving our evaluation of your qualifications for EB1-A Alien of Extraordinary Ability, you are encouraged to communicate about your situation and any questions, concerns or immediate needs by phone or email. Formulating actual questions sometimes helps focus your mind to what you really want or need to know. All the information we receive in the process is confidential.

5. Your decision

After you are advised about the feasibility of your case, and you believe North America Immigration Law Group is the right professional to achieve your objectives, you may proceed to inform our attorney the service package you choose and payment arrangement you prefer.

6. Please note

Up to this point, the analysis of your chance of success and exchange of information concerning general picture and potential of your case do not amount to legal opinion or create an attorney-client relationship.

1. Reviewing Retainer Agreement

After receiving your notification of retaining us, we will e-mail you a Retainer Agreement according to the service package you chose. Please review it carefully and feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the detailed terms of our professional service, fees and payments.

2. Send back the signed Retainer Agreement and attorney fee

You may mail, fax or scan and email the signed Retainer Agreement, along with payment of the attorney fee to us. We accept cash, personal checks, money orders, traveler's checks, cashier's checks, wire transfers, and MasterCard and Visa credit cards (payment online).

3. Forming attorney-client relationship

We will sign and email you a scanned copy of the signed Retainer Agreement. An attorney-client relationship arises once we sign the Agreement. We will prepare your case timely, thoroughly and professionally. As your lawyer, we will:

1. Keep you informed of all progress of your case.
2. Promptly answer your questions regarding your case.
3. Promptly return your phone calls.
4. Fully discuss with you about the advantages and risks about decisions you make.

4. Client packet

After an attorney-client relationship has been formed, you will receive a client packet via email right away. In the packet, you will receive more information about our services and what the process ahead looks like, and exactly how we propose to move you towards your goals. In the client packet we send, you will receive;

1. A detailed questionnaire concerning your credentials and supporting evidence for the purpose of information gathering;
2. A flow chart and timeline of the petition process, step by step;
3. Comprehensive instructions about how to choose a good candidate for your recommendation letters;
4. Advice on how to approach recommenders for recommendations and sample emails of inviting recommendation letters.

1. Filling out the questionnaire

After receiving the client packet, you need to fill out the questionnaire carefully, providing all necessary information in detail.

2. Recommendation letters

1. Discussion of potential recommenders: After reviewing your finished questionnaire, we will discuss with you about potential candidates to write you recommendation letters. Please remember to read the client packet pertaining obtaining recommendation letters carefully prior to our discussion. The law and the USCIS regulations do not indicate the required number of recommendation letters but 3 to 7 letters are deemed appropriate.
2. Contacting recommenders: After deciding the list of recommenders, you may proceed to contact them. We provide model request emails and phone dialogue at your preference. Most recommenders are busy professors or scholars, you may inform them that you will draft recommendation letters for them to review and revise.
3. We drafting recommendation letters based on information you provide: If your recommenders prefer you to provide drafts for them to sign (most of them do), we will draft recommendation letters for you. Given that you are the person who know better about the recommenders, their authority and expertise in your field of endeavor, and how your research influences theirs, you need to provide us detailed information about the recommenders, his/her recognition in the field, the connection of his/her research and yours etc.
4. Finalizing drafting recommendation letters and forwarding them to recommenders: We will finish first drafts of recommendation letters and email you to revise. We will revise based on your opinions and email back to you until finalizing letters. You will forward final letters to recommenders for review, approval and signature. Further revision of letters may be necessary if recommenders make such request or make substantial change of the letters.

3. Preparing documentation

During and after collecting recommendation letters, you may proceed to prepare other supporting documents, including but not limited to:

1. Official academic record and/or documents showing your degree, diploma, certificate, license.
2. A letter from your previous or current employer describing your working experience, contribution in the organization
3. Evidence of received international or national prize/award;
4. Evidence of having prestigious membership in associations in your field;
5. Published materials about you in professional or major trade publications and major newspapers (Remember to have them translated to English and certified if they are in a foreign language);
6. Evidence of you judging others' work (such as invitation letters);
7. Evidence of your contributions in your field (such as experts' testimonies);
8. Evidence of your authorship in your field of endeavor ( such as excerpts of your published papers);
9. Evidence of your authorship in your field of endeavor ( such as excerpts of your published papers);
10. Evidence of your authorship in your field of endeavor ( such as excerpts of your published papers);

4. Mailing us all signed recommendation letters and supporting evidence along with filing fee:

After finalizing collecting recommendation letters and supporting evidence, you will mail us all the materials along with I-140 filing fee.

5. We drafting the petition letter

After receiving all the petition supporting materials, we will analyze your credentials in the context of our carefully-designed petition structure and prepare legal summary and arguments in accordance to our winning strategy. You will receive the first draft of the recommendation letter in proximately two weeks after you forward us all the materials and you may review and revise it or email us concerning certain parts you want to change. We will revise the petition letter till your satisfaction.

6. We preparing Form I-140 along with organized evidence and submitting the petition package

We will prepare Form I-140, exhibit list and organize your supporting documents according to the USCIS regulations. We will mail you the prepared Form for your review and signature, and check with you the organized supporting evidence. We will make a final review before submitting the petition package to USCIS via FedEx.

1. Receiving your case number

After filing your package, we will scan and email a copy of USCIS official receipt once available, which is normally around 2 weeks. You can check your case status online with USCIS website using the number. We will also monitor the progress of your case at the mean time.

2. Approval

When we receive approval notice from USCIS, we will notify you immediately. We will also mail you the original approval notice promptly after we receive it. Your case is closed at this point. We will email you instructions pertaining to filing I-485 or prepare I-485 filing for you with discounted legal fee.

3. RFE (Request for Evidence)

If RFE is required, we will immediately notify you and instruct you to prepare further documents in response to USCIS in a timely manner. We will draft reference letters and legal argument to respond RFE and file the responding letter with NO extra charge. Please refer to previous paragraph if your case gets approved after RFE.

4. In the Rare Case of Denial

1. Adjudicating officers' discretion: Regardless of our zealous representation, I-140 approval is up to the adjudicating offer's discretion. Therefore, erroneous denials occur from time to time.
2. Understanding the USCIS's reasons of denial: In the rare case of denial of your petition by USCIS, we will immediately notify you of the decision and reasoning of the denial. We will evaluate and explain the reasons of denial and advise you of the option to appeal.
3. You decision of refund or appeal: You may decide to have the full refund of attorney fee immediately or have us appeal the case for you with NO extra charge. Please refer to paragraph 2 in step 3 if the case gets approved after appeal.

We have one hundred percent confidence in our capability to successfully represent our clients; otherwise we won't be the only U.S. immigration law firm that has refund policy on I-140 petition. That is not an empty guarantee but is specifically laid out in the attorney-client contract and is binding to our law firm.