Case Summary:

A postdoctoral research associate from China, holding a Ph.D. in zoology hired us to compose two petitions in a gap of 3 months back in 2020, one under the NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition and the other under the EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) visa category on his behalf. While accepting his cases, our first and foremost idea was to assess his research which predominantly focused on previously unsuspected or unidentified environmental contaminants using mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography, contributing significantly to the field of environmental chemistry. We were certain that he is one of the leading legacy and novel pollutants and their effects on human health and the environment experts in environmental chemistry, and he has achieved a consistent and notable record of success and influence in this area of study.

To bolster his case and prove its invaluable worth to the USCIS, we highlighted the importance of his background and accomplishments in his area of expertise in the field. Initially, we sketched the brief of his research and how it addresses some of our nation’s and the world’s most pressing issues, including protecting human and animal health, identifying previously unsuspected chemical contamination, and protecting the environment, especially his successful investigations into novel and legacy flame retardant traces and previously unknown chemical contaminants in U.S. consumer products and wildlife.

Along with the great importance his research work holds in the U.S., we also shed some light on the 42 peer-reviewed journal articles (13 of them first-authored) and one co-authored book chapter published by him in some of the most discerning, high-impact journals in his field. Moreover, not only did he successfully complete and publish the results of his research in the field, but his findings have also gone on to influence his peers and have been cited by researchers in at least 50 countries. The researchers who have relied on his investigations to make important advances hail from such notable international institutions, and they have cited his work 842 times.

Also, his project received funding from two notable environmental protection agencies in the United States, namely the San Francisco Estuary Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This government and municipal support of his research is indicative of the relevance of his work to national priorities.

Further, we recorded his foundational role and overall extraordinary ability in the field are evident in his service as a peer reviewer as well for authoritative journals. He has conducted at least 30 reviews for highly acclaimed journals. Experts in the field who are familiar with his superior level of achievement elaborate on his substantial role in advancing environmental chemistry.

“[Client’s] history of peer review service, it best summarizes the influence his expertise exerts on the field. The editors of academic journals select only the most established researchers in a given discipline to perform review work. To date, he has conducted more than 20 reviews for leading journals in the field. This service, along with his impressive research, the extended reach of his published work, and his notable background, compels me to recommend that he be able to continue his work in the United States.”

The above-added excerpt has been taken out of one of the four recommendation letters we incorporated in his case. Based on the abundance of information we assembled, we successfully convinced the USCIS that our client’s credentials distinguish him as a uniquely qualified scholar in his field, and his research background positions him as a well-seasoned researcher to continue his study of environmental chemistry in the United States. Special thanks to our team for laying out a unique petition for our client, which got both I-140 petitions approved less than 3 months apart. We would also like to thank our client for trusting and associating with the North America Immigration Law Group to represent his NIW and EB1A applications.