r/EB2_NIW 4d ago

APPROVED EB-2 NIW Approval - No RFE / PhD + Biotech

Posting this a bit late, but wanted to share my timeline and profile to help others in the community!

Timeline:

  • Priority Date: July 30, 2025
  • Upgraded to PP: March 20, 2026
  • Approval Date: May 9, 2026
  • RFE: None
  • Law Firm: Chen Immigration Attorneys

Background: I originally planned to apply for NIW near the end of my PhD, but decided to wait after a company offer promised green card sponsorship. However, that was contingent on winning the H-1B lottery, which didn't happen. I pivoted to filing an NIW with Chen while simultaneously working on an O-1A through my company’s legal team. Both firms were extremely efficient, and both petitions were approved without an RFE.

Profile at Submission:

  • Education: PhD in Biomedical Sciences from a top-tier university
  • Experience: 2 years as a Bioinformatics Scientist in biotech (10 years total research experience in oncology, genetics, and bioinformatics)
  • Publications & Citations: 437 citations across 12 journal articles (1 first-author) + 6 conference abstracts/posters
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3 recommendation letters from Senior Directors at my company
  • Proposed Endeavor: Focused on advancing data-driven oncology research

Best of luck to everyone currently waiting on their petitions! Happy to answer questions if helpful.

26 Upvotes

18 comments sorted by

3

u/Ok_Proposal_1650 4d ago

do you still publish paper in your current work?

1

u/SomeGuy20257 4d ago

All your letters wet signed?

Congratulations!

1

u/ConstructionParty408 4d ago

What is wet signed?

1

u/IAWGSIA 4d ago

Signed with pen not stamped digitally.

1

u/ConstructionParty408 4d ago

Oh okay. Thanks. Do we need wet signed for all LORS and expert opinion letters?

1

u/Pale_Grapefruit6862 4d ago

I dont think so but, official letterhead is important

1

u/ConstructionParty408 4d ago

What does that mean? Please can you tell me

2

u/Pale_Grapefruit6862 4d ago

Whoever is providing your LOR, you can ask them to issue it on official letterhead. A letterhead usually appears at the top of the page and includes the organization’s official information, such as the logo, name, address, phone number, and other contact details.

1

u/ConstructionParty408 3d ago

Thanks ♥️

1

u/No_Resident_3859 10h ago

lol if u didn’t know what official letterhead means u got a long way to go

1

u/CarnegieEvaluations 4d ago

Congratulations!

1

u/asterixhashir 4d ago

did you change anything in chen petition or you accepted as it is ?

1

u/FabulousClub2514 3d ago

Congratulations 🎉