On February 24^th, 2017, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Doctoral Candidate in the Field of Materials Engineering (Approval Notice).

General Field: Materials Engineering

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Ph.D. Candidate & Research Assistant

Country of Origin: Iran

Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Texas

Approval Notice Date: February 24^th, 2017

Processing Time: 3 months, 16 days

Case Summary:

The USCIS undoubtedly saw merit in retaining an Iranian doctoral candidate in the US as his EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition was approved in merely 3 months and 16 days (4-9 months is the normal adjudication period). The speedy approval of this case highlights not just the strength of our client’s credentials, but the efficiency of North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG). Some interesting particulars of this case included:

1. Our client holds a master’s degree in physics and is pursuing his doctoral studies in materials engineering. He has an extensive background in physics and metallurgy and has made substantial contributions to the field of materials engineering. Our client’s research has mostly focused on the fabrication and characterization of thin films and high temperature superconductors (HTS). His contributions are significant in addressing the constant demand for high performance electronics in the United States. Furthermore, his research efforts in developing better fabrication techniques contribute to the United States’ abilities in superconducting magnetic energy storage. We proved that our client’s work directly impacts the communication and information technology sectors as well as the consumer electronics industries in the United States.
2. Our client had already published 11 peer-reviewed journal articles, including 5 first-authored articles. Additionally, he had to his credit 4 conference abstracts. Collectively, his published work had obtained 104 citations at the time of filing.
3. Apart from highlighting his credentials in the NIW dossier, we also urged our client to collect several letters of recommendation to further strengthen his case. The words contributed by one of his recommenders—an assistant professor—are worth mentioning here: “[Client] is conducting novel scientific and engineering research that is beneficial to both academic and industry-based communities. Few others in the field possess similar skillsets and level of prior contributions, making [Client] a distinctively valuable individual in materials engineering research”. The 5 recommendation letters volunteered by illustrious experts undoubtedly fortified our client’s case to a great extent.

We compiled all the relevant information and drafted a well-planned petition for our client. Not long after our client’s NIW petition was granted approval, we filed an I-485 application on his behalf. Once this is approved, our client will obtain American permanent residency. We join him as he awaits a decision from the USCIS, and in the meantime, we wish him well as he continues to conduct groundbreaking research.