On August 1^st, 2019, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Researcher and Director of Research and Development in the Field of Applied Linguistics (Approval Notice).

General Field: Applied Linguistics

Position at the Time of Case Filing: Researcher and Director of Research and Development

Country of Origin: Iran

State of Residence at the Time of Filing: New York

Approval Notice Date: August 1^st, 2019

Processing Time: 9 months, 17 days

Case Summary:

Based on the framework set by Matter of Dhanasar, our client, an Iranian researcher and director of research and development specializing in applied linguistics was suitably qualified for the national interest waiver. It took the USCIS nearly 10 months to process our client’s EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition. The reason the adjudication took this long is because his NIW was issued a Request for Evidence (RFE). However, our stellar team prepared a strong response to it, which ultimately led to case approval. Not only did we convince the USCIS that our client’s credentials were legitimate, we also reiterated that he is an asset to the United States.

Besides chronicling our client’s doctoral degree, we included other relevant evidence of our client’s unique skill sets and knowledge. By the time we were ready to file his case, we had amassed an extensive list of his accomplishments. For instance, our client’s 5 peer-reviewed journal articles and 4 technical reports had collected 41 citations. He had also assessed the work of his peers for 12 times. Further, we thoroughly accounted for his research on the use of quantitative analysis methods in second language acquisition studies and assessments.

In the petition letter, we presented sufficient evidence on the benefits of his work to the United States, and emphasized that he is one of only a small handful of researchers who can obtain such impactful research results. Specifically, our client’s research are able to provide insights crucial for the advancement of social factors, as well as speech recognition technology, AI, and more. His research on the use of quantitative analysis methods in second language acquisition studies and assessments therefore extends beyond the academic arena, and is beneficial to the national interests of the United States.

To further strengthen our client’s NIW petition, we included 6 recommendation letters signed by other prominent members of the applied linguistics research community. These letters discussed our client’s various studies, their significance to the field, and the importance of allowing our client to remain in the US to conduct his research. According to one of the recommenders: “In general, applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that seeks solutions to language-related real-life problems. Applied linguistics receives input from psychology, education, anthropology, and sociology, among many other fields, and focuses on providing new resources and policies for language learning and cultural understanding around the globe. Thus, this field is a holistically beneficial one, serving the advancement of society in general. [Client]’s activities in this arena have proven to be enormously significant to the progress of applied linguistics”.

Our unprecedented insight into how USCIS officers adjudicate I-140 cases has taught us how to build personalized petitions for our clients. We are glad that our hard work paid off and that he secured the approval of national interest waiver. This approved NIW petition is one of nearly 15,000 petitions that we have helped our clients obtain. We thank him for choosing our firm, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.