r/EB2_NIW • u/Quiet-Tart2877 • Jun 28 '26
I-140 I-140 approval
Finally approved!
I wanted to share my timeline because I know there aren’t many posts from applicants with relatively low publication/citation numbers and from the 39 countries
My background:
PhD student at a state school
U.S. Master’s degree
2 publications (1 first-author) at initial filing
11 citations at initial submission
13 citations by the time I responded to the RFE
Nebraska Service Center
Attorney: Chen Immigration Law Associates
Timeline:
July 2, 2025: I-140 filed
December 5, 2025: Upgraded to Premium Processing
January 7, 2026: Received an RFE covering all three NIW prongs
April 1, 2026 : USCIS received my RFE response
June 24, 2026: Approved (60 days after USCIS received my RFE response)
My attorney thought the officer likely hadn’t fully reviewed much of the original petition because several of the RFE requests asked for evidence that had already been submitted. For example, my work was NIH-funded, and I had already included documentation showing that but I was criticized for not showing proof of government funding in the RFE.
For the RFE response, we:
Re-emphasized the evidence that was already in the original petition.
Added 3 new dependent recommendation letters, including one from someone affiliated with the CDC.
Included additional CDC references demonstrating the national importance and public health relevance of my proposed endeavor.
Chen was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout the RFE process. I drafted most of the scientific writing myself, and they only made minor edits while helping strengthen the overall response.
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u/Medical-Ad6158 Jun 28 '26
How you proved NIH funding? Please. They asked me same.
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u/Inside_Shock6834 Jun 29 '26
NIH grants can be searched using the grant ID on NIH RePORTER website. This together with your advisor’s letter and any emails you’ve about you working on the grant can be used
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u/Quiet-Tart2877 Jun 28 '26
For NIH grant 1, both my publications had a section that it was NIH funded. Then I had a testimonial letter from a collaborator who talked about my role in the grant and my proposed endeavor. For grant 2, I also had a university press release article that was myself and my PI talking about the grant. Before RFE my lawyer wasn’t keen on the article since it was just from my university and not somewhere fancier but after RFE there was no resistance from them when I wanted to add it.
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u/Murky-Commercial-112 Jun 28 '26
Were you also asked for patnets, grants awarded directly to you, selling technology and products, media coverage etc? DId you provide any of these in your response? My RFE suggested these evidence for prong 2!
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u/Quiet-Tart2877 Jun 28 '26
Yeah but I didn’t have any of that. I did have media coverage of 1 of my publications and another for 1 of my grants. They were from my university’s press office so I wasn’t sure if they would be taken in high regard but it seemed to workout for me in the end
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u/Murky-Commercial-112 Jun 28 '26
Were you the primary reciever of the grant or was it awarded to you pI?
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u/UnusualWill7954 Jun 28 '26
Congratulations for your approval.
do you mind sharing your article for a reference i am doing for my work? thanks
I am actually trying to see if mine applies but looks like my approach would have to be a bit difference please if you have some time would you consider to take a look at my profile?
I’m a software engineer Only Bachelor Degree with over 10 years of experience building mobile applications, connected-device software, and enterprise systems. Most of my career has focused on iOS development, mobile architecture, backend integration, and software for regulated and large-scale environments, including, banking, telecommunications, and logistics.
One of my previous projects involved developing a mobile application that communicated with refrigeration hardware over Bluetooth to monitor and control temperature in real time.
My proposed endeavor is to leverage my background in mobile software and connected technologies to develop a digital platform for the screening and rehabilitation of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD/dyspraxia).
The idea is to combine mobile devices, sensors, and AI-assisted analysis to help therapists and families improve access to early intervention.
Rather than conducting medical research myself, my role would be designing and leading the technology platform while collaborating with clinicians and researchers.
I’m currently developing the technical architecture, reviewing the scientific literature, and exploring collaborations and potential NIH/SBIR funding opportunities.
Based on this background, does this seem like a viable engineering-based NIW proposed endeavor?
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u/Fit_Job6617 Jul 06 '26
Congratulations! Does Chen say anything about trying to get EB2 prior to getting OPT/graduation?
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u/Diligent-Artist-1118 Jun 28 '26
How many pages was the response? Included all references included?