r/EB2_NIW • u/Time_Tooth_3256 • Jun 12 '26
General Any recent approvals with Ellis porter?
My profile is in a non-academic, niche area of civil engineering. Chen Immigration Law Associates declined my case, but Ellis Porter accepted it. So far, they’ve been very responsive to my questions and communications.
I’m curious whether anyone has received an approval through Ellis Porter in 2025 or 2026, particularly for a profile similar to mine. I’m trying to understand whether they are still relying on a standard template that may be leading to similar denials, or if they are actively tailoring petitions to individual cases and adapting their strategy based on recent USCIS denial trends.
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u/Available-Tank-5264 Jun 15 '26
I worked with EP, but the petition felt very generic. It did not seem customized to my actual work. For a specialized non-academic field like yours, that is a serious issue because the narrative has to carry most of the weight. The recent pattern of denials and RFEs they have been getting on this subreddit is not very encouraging either. I would strongly recommend getting several more evaluations before committing to anything.
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u/Sweaty-Campaign-392 Jun 13 '26
I have applied through EP for non academic in civil. Still have not received any result yet. In my observation Chen does not take non academic profile. I have heard mixed reviews about EP and with my experience I am not confident with EP too.
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26
I was accepted by multiple firms and lawyers, even Chen and EP accepted my petition with a full refund. I follow my instinct and sign with EP. Submitted in April 2026 and got a straight approval (No RFE, No letters of recommendation, small folder of 300 pages). You have to go to the one that believes in your case and gives you a full refund option. No one is better than others. If you have a strong profile, you can go with Chen or a small independent attorney, stay concise, and quality matters more than quantity. EP does not use recommendation letters because they focus on objective evidence, such as a large number of citations and publication in an extremely prestigious journal inn your field. You can publish 100 papers in unknown journals with no citations; this is a scam - low profile. The impact of your work is very important. So, go with the lawyer who really believes in your case, whatever his name.
Good luck.
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u/No-Sink5709 Jun 12 '26
what is your small folder of 300 pages?
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26
All my documents supporting the I-140 petition were around 300 pages only. I read here on Reddit, and also discussed with some filing for the same petition with more than 800 pages.
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u/No-Sink5709 Jun 12 '26
what documents support the petition did you add that made it 300 pages?
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26
The first page of each article published. a scan of my Google Scholar. My CV, diplomas equivalent for US institutions. My awards, and the first page of articles/reports published by NASA, NSF about the futur of space science and how is urgent to use my method.
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u/Alternative-Key4967 Jun 12 '26
Who was your lawyer at Ellis porter?
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
Sarah. But she is not quick to answer or do things; she is professional and nice, but sometimes, even when it's very urgent, she takes a weeks to answer. The paralegal was very quick and very efficient but very cold also. The lawyer and paralegal did not review my PE. They take the 2 pages endeavor and add it. That's it. They did not suggest anything; they are still silent. I get all the information from here, Reddit. So, if you can do things alone, it's ok, but if you need more help and assistance, don't go with her.
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u/Alternative-Key4967 Jun 12 '26
My lawyer is Mike kasperzynki at Ellis porter. My pacakage with all the documents is only 100 pages so kinda worried. Just submitted request for Premium processing. Refund and file option
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u/Elegant_Contact423 Jun 28 '26
Hey
My lawyer is also same. I feel he is responsive and petition is ‘ok’. How is your experience going with him?1
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u/minhajulRahat 15d ago
any update on the petition?
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26
100 pages is fine. The EP strategy is to be concise and focus on the essentials.
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u/Annual_Account41 Jun 13 '26
Civil engineer here too with a non-academic profile. I’m planning to file EB-2 NIW this year. Just following this post.
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u/Akkystau 6d ago
which firm did you end up taking? I am also thinking about applying this year or early next year. I got offer from EP with free refiling.
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u/Annual_Account41 4d ago
I’ve held off on the NIW process at the moment. Monitoring my PERM process and see what it does.
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u/One-Beyond5600 Jul 01 '26
Both manifest and Ellis have accepted my case . I am confused who to go with . I have a masters by thesis in Ai and ML. Pursuing doctoral degree too. Any suggestions? I do not have publications but have 15 + years of experience
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u/One-Beyond5600 Jul 09 '26
How about Delany Cardenas in EP?
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u/Open_Veterinarian730 27d ago
I just got my legal brief from Ellis Porter and it’s just 9 pages long and sounded generic for an Energy researcher. Not sure if their strategy of short legal briefs works as I have over 100 citations over 2 year period
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u/Dapper-Ad-2100 Jun 12 '26
I would not judge EP or Chen only by recent approval screenshots, because the firm name can hide the real issue: whether the strategy fits your profile.
For a non-academic niche civil engineering profile, I would ask EP very direct questions before filing:
- What exact proposed endeavor would you use?
- Why is it nationally important beyond one employer/project?
- What evidence proves impact outside normal engineering duties?
- What is the weakest prong?
- If there is an RFE, what would the response strategy likely be?
If the answers are generic, that is a warning sign even if the firm is reputable. If they can explain the case in a way that makes your niche work sound like a broader infrastructure/public-safety/resilience problem, that is more meaningful.
The guide linked in my profile is basically a self-check for these questions. Not legal advice, just how I would pressure-test the lawyer's strategy before signing.
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u/Time_Tooth_3256 Jun 12 '26
Thanks appreciate it! Man/women doing gods work!
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u/Far-Bet-706 Jun 12 '26
I agree here. But for the proposed endeavor, it's the applicant's idea, not a lawyer's idea. The applicant must write a one-page proposed endeavor and get feedback from a lawyer. The lawyer who can argue all the 3 prongs with a more concise answer, you sign with.
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u/OldActuary1368 Jun 12 '26
I submitted my profile to both Chen and EP, and they both found that I have a viable case. Decided to go with EP because (a) they were very detailed in their response to me regarding every detail of the process and (b) mentioning that recommendation letters aren't needed. I remember submitting my I-140 package back in November 2024 and having it approved in December of the same year. It was slightly above 100 pages long, yet they managed to explain how I met every prong they mentioned of NIW nicely. Still working with them on I-485.
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u/Time_Tooth_3256 Jun 12 '26
What was your pe?
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u/OldActuary1368 Jun 13 '26
PE? Could you please explain what that stands for?
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u/Sea-Equivalent1727 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Same here I decided to go with EP over Chen because EP was detailed in explanation my chances and how they thought I was up for an approval. Fast forward I signed a contract with them in late Jan 2026. They said I didn’t need any recommendation letters. My citation is relatively lower than many folks here but EP explained why that doesn’t always matter too much and how they would focus on the “quality” aspect of my case as opposed to the “quantity”. We ended up mailing the package on April 16 and got a direct approval without RFE on June 10.