Case Summary:

A visiting research associate working in the field of neuroscience came to us in October of 2020 seeking our help with her NIW (National Interest Waiver) application. Her country of origin was Spain and she had been working in the United States for the past several years. Her expertise in the field was evident because her research was related to investigating dopamine release, addicted behaviors, and brain circuitry to understand better and treat drug dependency, including the opiate epidemic in the United States. It became clear that her research was of great substantial merit and national importance.

Thus, after assessing the merit of her claim to the category, we employed our team of experts to put together a convincing case on her behalf. Having immense experience with NIW clients, they were quick to form a strategy to move forward. Among other things, they used several letters of recommendation obtained from experts in the field to corroborate their arguments. Some of these are quoted below:

“[The client’s] work is invaluable to understanding the mechanics of drug addiction and brain conditions, including those addictions that stem from opiate use. [Client’s] research is therefore critical to elucidating the molecular mechanisms and the pathology of drug abuse. By doing so, she has provided the field with foundational knowledge for the development of effective drug targets for treating addiction.”

“[Client’s] research in neuroscience has shaped her field due to her pioneering approaches to studying the neurotransmitter dopamine in vitro and in vivo and how the dopamine system is affected during drug addiction and brain diseases. Her work has significant implications for addressing numerous drug addictions and neurological conditions.”

“The value of [client’s] research expands far beyond the confines of the laboratory, and indeed has implications for the nation as a whole. [Client] has made groundbreaking discoveries on the underlying mechanics of various neurological conditions and substance abuse in the brain. More than 795,000 people in the United States present with a stroke episode every year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As such, [the client] is performing essential research that should continue uninterrupted.”

On the other hand, our experts had also made a list of her other achievements in academia and professional setup. This was also included in the petition to make it all the more convincing. Our experts found that her research has resulted in 8 peer-reviewed journal articles (four of them first-authored) and 1 book chapter (first-authored). We also found that these publications have been cited a total of 353 times according to Google Scholar, thereby demonstrating that these publications are widely recognized and relied upon in the field of neuroscience.

These and other pieces of evidence were enough to get our client her NIW approval. Despite the RFE that her application received, our attorney made sure that her petition came through. We are grateful to her for trusting us with her case and we wish her the very best in life.