On May 5^th, 2016, and June 2^nd, 2016, we received EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) and EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approvals for a Clinical Fellow in the Field of Hematology-Oncology (Approval Notice).

General Field: Hematology-Oncology

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Clinical Fellow

Country of Origin: India

Service Center: Texas Service Center (TSC)

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: Florida

Approval Notice Date: May 5^th, 2016 (EB-1A) and June 2^nd, 2016 (EB-2 NIW)

Processing Time: 14 Days (EB-1A, Premium Processing Requested) and 11 months, 1 day (EB-2 NIW)

Case Summary:

A gifted clinical fellow from India hired North America Immigration Law Group (WeGreeend.com) to file two I-140 petitions on his behalf: an EB-1A (Alien of Extraordinary Ability) and an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver). This is not unusual as it increases one’s chances of obtaining an I-140 petition approval. In this case, our client was fortunate to have both his petitions approved, and we are particularly pleased about his approved EB-1A. This is because an EB-1A petition approval allows our client to adjust his status for permanent residence without needing to wait several years for his priority date to become current—something he would have to do if he bases his green card application on his approved EB-2 NIW. Although our client chose to file his EB-2 NIW petition first then his EB-1A petition roughly 9.5 months later, he received an approval notice for the latter first. Such quick processing is thanks to Premium Processing (PP) an add-on option offered by the USCIS to petitioners who file their I-140s under certain visa categories (such as EB-1A). Action was taken on his EB-1A petition in just 14 days instead of the average 4-9 months.

As EB-2 NIW and EB-1A are two different visa categories, we had to put together two separate petition packets that adhered to each category’s respective guidelines. Even so, several aspects overlapped:

1. Presentation of achievements: Both petitions contained data on our client’s various professional accomplishments. From his M.B.B.S. to peer review record, we highlighted our client’s strengths in the field of hematology-oncology. We listed our client’s publication record (16 scientific articles, one book chapter, and numerous presentations at national and international conferences), citation count (82 citations), and peer review experience (15 reviews for 6 journals).
2. Recommendation letters: Because we filed both petitions less than a year apart, we were able to use the same set of recommendation letters to bolster the cases. These letters were obtained from six experts in our client’s field, all of whom gladly advocated for the approval of both petitions. This is a statement extracted from one of the letters: “[Client’s] work here has provided a benchmark and also serves as a launching pad for further analysis and screening of such cancer survivors. This work has provided fundamental knowledge to the field while contributing to the development of guidelines for providing the best care to United States citizens. I see [Client’s] work as essential for the continued advancement of knowledge related to cancer and cancer treatment, and I trust that you, too, recognize the necessity of his sustained work in the field.”
3. Research details: The many years that our client spent in the field resulted in various successful projects focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of blood cancers. He has also uncovered numerous useful findings that improve health care outcomes for people in the United States and around the world.

We congratulate our client for obtaining both EB-2 NIW and EB-1A petition approvals. He recently retained us to help him file an I-485 application. Once the USCIS approves his application, he will become an American permanent resident. We thank him for choosing to work with our law firm, and we wish him the best as he continues to progress the field of hematology-oncology.