How We at Chen Immigration Law Associates Draft Reference/Recommendation Letters for Clients

by Chen Immigration Law Associates 04/10/2012

Reference letters are important since they serve as crucial evidence for the meeting the necessary criteria. They can be used to demonstrate or confirm the significance of the applicant’s work and the recognition of their achievements. Therefore, we at Chen Immigration Law Associates draft reference letters for clients to help them build up their credentials and strengthen their cases.

First of all, after retaining us, clients will have a detailed discussion with our attorneys regarding their cases, usually on the phone and sometimes in person. The first discussion usually takes about an hour. We will have discuss with clients regarding ideal candidates to be their references.

We at Chen Immigration Law Associates always encourage clients to choose letter writers who are experts in the applicant’s field or in a similar field. Unlike typical reference letters, for employment based immigration petitions, it is best to find independent letter writers who do not know the alien personally and have not worked with him/her. This is because USCIS views independent letter writers as having less of a personal stake in having the petition approved. We also encourage clients to find letter writers who have cited the applicant’s work, to demonstrate that the work has had an influence on other researchers in the field. If it is not possible to find a writer who has cited the work, we will try to phrase that the writer have relied on the client’s work or used it as a resource.

We usually draft at least 6 reference letters, which are generally around 1000 words long. Letters will include a short biography of the letter writer’s credentials, technical discussion of the client’s work and why it is significant, and we will overall demonstrate the client’s ability. We will clearly state that the letter is independent if it is. We will also back up claims with evidence in letters; for example, if we say that the client’s publication was highly influential, we will provide citation numbers, media coverage, or other evidence of such. Also valuable are descriptions of how the client overcame a longstanding problem in the field or if they are the first in the world to accomplish something. We at Chen Immigration Law Associates always carefully emphasize what the client has already accomplished, as opposed to describing work as promising or perhaps being significant in the future.

Reference letters can be used to demonstrate achievement/influence in an area where the client’s credentials are not as strong. For example, a reference letter describing how the field is highly specialized and has low average citations can be used to explain a client’s lower citations record.

***Reproduction is welcome but source must be explicitly indicated: http://www.wegreened.com ***

North America Immigration Law Group (Chen Immigration Law Associates) is a U.S. immigration law firm dedicated to representing corporations, research institutions, and individuals from all 50 U.S. states regarding I-140 immigration petitions. We specialize in employment-based immigration petition and have a proven record of high success rate for the categories of: EB2-NIW (National Interest Waiver), EB1-A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability), EB1-B (Outstanding Researcher/Professor) and O-1 (Alien of Extraordinary Ability).

Our Ten Thousand I-140 Approvals Provide Unprecedented Insight into the USCIS Adjudication Trend

With more than 47,000 EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW and O-1 cases approved, we have first hand information on the manner in which the USCIS adjudicate I-140 cases. As the USCIS has constantly changed its adjudication standards for the EB-1A, EB-1B and EB-2 NIW categories, our firm's huge database of successful cases gives you unprecedented insight to USCIS adjudication trends. We carefully analyze the data for all of our cases and apply the results of our analyses toward giving our clients up-to-date advice and adapting our strategies such that we remain on par with the ever-shifting landscape of immigration law in the U.S. With us, you will always have access to important updates, strategies, and information so that you can make the most informed decisions about your case.

We Have Helped Hundreds and Thousands of Clients with Credentials and Backgrounds Similar to Yours

With our exceedingly large number of successful petitions, no matter what credentials you have, no matter your background and field of expertise, no matter your visa status or nationality, chances are we have helped hundreds or even thousands of clients just like you. Our clients are usually impressed with how well we understand their research and work. Our insight and understanding stems from the fact that we have handled many cases with elements similar to yours already, and this helps us devise the best strategies for each individual petition.

Vast Majority of Clients Came to Us Because of Referrals

For years, our firm has attracted new clients based solely on word of mouth, recommendations, and the positive collaboration experiences shared with them by their friends and family. We take pride in our reputation and work hard to ensure that we provide a green card application experience that our clients are happy to share with their friends and colleagues. That is how our approved cases grew from 600 in 2013 to over 47,000 in 2023.