Case Summary:

“The importance of cybersecurity in the United States has led computer engineers and other experts to study various methods for preventing cyberattacks and ensuring the security of private embedded systems. [The client] is an expert in computer engineering whose work on power analysis attacks and cryptographic algorithm testing has made him a valuable asset to the interests of the United States in this area. His research is highly beneficial to the interests of the United States.”

An expert in computer engineering wrote the above passage in support of a client of ours from Sri Lanka. Our client approached us to help him with his NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition. As an embedded design engineer himself, his proposed endeavor was to work on developing next-generation non-invasive vital monitoring systems. This would help facilitate new opportunities in space health monitoring, such as astronaut health and performance monitoring. With growing public interest and private investment, the market for space tourism is expected to be worth at least $3 billion dollars by 2030. In this context, his research is of great importance because it contributes to the evolution of technology driving the burgeoning industry of space tourism. Specifically, his work also has broad implications for the United States, since as an international leader in space exploration, the health and security of astronauts and their equipment is a top national priority.

It is due to this that his research has found financial support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center. On the other hand, his 6 years of work in the field also yielded academic results such as the publication of 1 peer-reviewed journal article, 4 peer-reviewed conference papers, and 1 preprint paper. These papers have also been cited a total of 21 times, thereby demonstrating that these publications are widely recognized and relied upon in the field of computer engineering.

His work also found support in recommendations written by experts who knew his research. He had collected 4 such letters which we attached to his petition in order to support his NIW claim. One such recommender wrote the following about him:

“Much of [the client’s] work has led to substantial advances in wearable electronics and health monitoring technologies. In the United States, wearable devices for tracking health and fitness performance have increased drastically in popularity in recent years. [The client’s] research has directly improved this technological market in the United States by developing advanced wearable electronics for healthcare monitoring. [The client’s] research has helped establish a novel method of remote monitoring to ensure a greater quality of life and fall avoidance among older adults in the United States.”

Thus, his application was filed in June of 2021 and he received his approval by May of 2022, and that too without an RFE. The approval helped him to continue his work without a labor certification on American soil. We congratulate him and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.