Case Summary:

A research fellow in the field of biochemistry from France came to NAILG seeking help with his National Interest Waiver (NIW) case. His proposed endeavor was to work on analyzing the connection between vitamins and diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and sickle cell anemia, with the goal of improving therapeutic interventions and treatment methods. His research advancing his proposed endeavor was evidently very important because it addresses diseases of serious global consequence through a novel lens. It is because of this very reason that he could obtain 5 letters recommending his work in the field. One of these experts had the following to say about his work:

“Over a person’s lifetime, sickle cell disease also contributes to a variety of complications, including stroke, issues with the blood and circulation, organ damage, and gallstones, which often result in hospitalization. In the past, the cost incurred for hospitalizations of those with sickle cell disease has been estimated at nearly $500 million. This is a significant cost that is preventable with a proper understanding and treatment of the disease. [The client] is a researcher working on understanding sickle cell disease, and his work is thus of great interest to the United States.”

So, our team ensured that the adjudicating authorities saw that our client’s proposed endeavor has broad implications for the United States. His research poses great value for understanding obesity and its related diseases. This is beneficial on two fronts, as obesity is both an urgent public health concern in the U.S. and globally as well as a substantial economic burden for people around the world. This is why another one of his recommenders said the following:

“There are many methods to manage obesity, and yet many of the underlying biological processes that cause these other conditions related to obesity are not well-understood. There is a strong research need to improve our understanding of these underlying biological processes in order to better manage obesity. The research conducted by [the client], a scientist working in cellular biology, is indisputably valuable to this field and to obesity more generally, meaning that he and his research are of substantial benefit to the United States.”

On the other hand, his work has also resulted in 9 peer-reviewed journal articles (5 of them first-authored). And these publications have been cited a total of 78 times according to Google Scholar. This information helped his case as it showed that the petitioner is an active member of the scientific and academic community, and his work is being widely circulated and used by peer members in his area of interest.

Even though the adjudication of his case was delayed compared to other NIW cases, we were able to obtain the approval without an RFE which can significantly delay the approval period. We are grateful to our client for his patience and trust in our firm. We thank him for choosing us and we wish him the very best in all future endeavors.