From April to June 2019, our firm received 49 NIW case approvals. USCIS approved 46 of these cases without Requests for Evidence (RFEs).

Out of the 49 NIW cases approved during this period, many applicants had a Ph.D. degree when applying. However, 8 of these applicants, or approximately 16%, had a Master’s degree when their cases were filed. Among samples of approved applicants, most conduct research in Medical Science, Biology and Engineering, while others focus on marketing, piano, and Taekwondo, etc. Those who work in fields related to Engineering, Medical Science and Biology are forced to compete with a large number of applicants from which the USCIS can only approve the strongest applications.

Ph.D.	31	63.3%
Master	8	16.4%
Bachelor & others	10	20.3%

Those who work as a “Postdoctoral Research Associate”, “Research Scientist/Engineer”, “Assistant Professor’, or any other similar title mainly conduct research, produce papers, and attend conferences. Because of the nature of scientific work, such applicants find it easier to show that they have exerted national influence and sustained a past record of achievement through more objective evidence (i.e. citations, downloads, commercialization of work, etc.). Of course, this should not discourage you from applying if you feel you lack such evidence. On the contrary, each case varies and USCIS could deem your particular qualifications and skill set to be of intrinsic merit to the United States. USCIS does not adjudicate petitions solely on the basis of concrete numbers. With our highly experienced attorneys, we will help you highlight your strongest professional assets, while downplaying your weaker ones.

In addition to the above, we have also compiled other relevant data from our samples. The median number of journal papers published by these applicants was 10. The median number of independent citations they received was 82. The average processing time for these applications was 263 days, or about 9 months. The longest it took to approve an application was 664 days, while the shortest was 145days.

Median number of Journal papers	10
Median number of independent citations	82
Average Processing days	263

Before you start the application process, it is imperative that you consult a highly trained legal professional.

By consulting with an attorney at our firm, you will learn not only about your options, but also specific application strategies tailoring to the new standard. 

If you are interested in contacting us for a free consultation, please call our offices at 1-800-230-7040 or email us at info@hooyou.com.

For more information on the 49 NIW cases approved from April to June 2019, please refer to the table below.

Client	Degree	Research field	Journal papers	Independent Citations	Job title	RFE	Processing days
1	Master	Electrical Engineering	N/A	N/A	Project Manager	No	250
2	Ph.D.	Computer science	2	70	Researcher	No	203
3	Ph.D.	biomedical science	14	677	Researcher	No	208
4	Ph.D.	Geotechnical Engineering	9	N/A	Researcher	No	256
5	Ph.D.	Polymer Chemistry	7	11	Clinic Director	No	325
6	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	General Manager	Yes	301
7	Master	Petrophysics	4	35	Reservoir Engineering Consultant	Yes	315
8	Bachelor	marketing and public relations	N/A	N/A	CEO	No	223
9	Master	Petroleum Engineering	11	4	Production Engineer	No	222
10	Master	investment	N/A	N/A	CEO	No	222
11	Master	economic and social development	3	N/A	Director	No	434
12	Ph.D.	telecommunications	4	89	Principal Engineer	No	297
13	Ph.D.	water resources science	5	6	Researcher	No	357
14	N/A	Taekwondo	N/A	N/A	Master Instructor	No	664
15	Ph.D.	Chemical Engineering	9	114	Researcher	No	145
16	Ph.D.	Cardiovascular medicine	27	190	Postdoctoral Fellow	No	189
17	Ph.D.	Electrical Engineering	35	963	Professor	No	243
18	Bachelor	Health Management	11	N/A	General Manager	No	232
19	Bachelor	Engineering	N/A	N/A	Senior Engineer	No	235
20	Ph.D.	hospital medicine	12	8	Senior Physician	No	280
21	Ph.D.	Medicine	19	135	Associate Professor	No	237
22	Bachelor	primary care	N/A	N/A	Medical Doctor	No	251
23	Ph.D.	Biophysical Chemistry	10	184	Research Scientist	No	244
24	Bachelor	N/A	N/A	N/A	CEO	No	234
25	Ph.D.	Management science and engineering	14	1396	Lecturer	No	256
26	Ph.D.	Ophthalmology	3	21	Representative Director and Ophthalmologist	No	248
27	Bachelor	oil and gas	N/A	N/A	Sr. Geoscientist	Yes	357
28	Ph.D.	Orthopedic Surgery	26	217	Representative Director	No	244
29	Master	Piano	2	N/A	Musician	No	292
30	Ph.D.	Theater	21	12	Media researcher	No	258
31	Ph.D.	Chemical Engineering	2	81	Engineer	No	288
32	Ph.D.	Bio photonics	22	100	Biological Scientist	No	253
33	Ph.D.	Accounting	23	74	Associate Professor	No	253
34	N/A	Entertainment Management	N/A	N/A	Management Executive	No	277
35	Master	N/A	N/A	N/A	Director	No	280
36	Ph.D.	Food biotechnology	14	701	Researcher	No	201
37	Ph.D.	computer science	7	204	Assistant Professor	No	244
38	Bachelor	Pathology	18	N/A	Clinical Associate	No	267
39	Master	Engineering	4	5	Researcher	No	210
40	Ph.D.	Education	12	74	Professor	No	254
41	Ph.D.	Transportation Engineering	4	7	Transportation Analyst /Engineer	No	232
42	Ph.D.	Civil Engineering	7	29	Groundwater Modeler	No	209
43	Ph.D.	Structural Engineering	1	3	Senior Engineer	No	243
44	Ph.D.	water resources science	2	16	Research Scientist	No	405
45	Ph.D.	Machine vision	8	N/A	Electrical Engineer	No	192
46	Ph.D.	microelectronics	13	245	Senior Engineer	No	193
47	Ph.D.	Pharmacology	45	1013	Associate Professor	No	206
48	Ph.D.	Psychiatry	37	1205	Psychiatrist	No	238
49	Ph.D.	Cancer	6	83	Postdoctoral Fellow	No	240

 

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Former U.S. Consular officer, Attorney Sechyi Laiu joined Zhang & Associates, P.C. on June 26, 2017

At Zhang & Associates, P.C., Attorney Laiu specializes on Consular Processing cases and business development. Attorney Laiu also focuses on TN visas, E visas, CBP administrative proceedings (monetary confiscation, deferred inspection), and overseas financial compliance.

Prior to joining Zhang & Associates, P.C., Attorney Laiu worked for the U.S. Department of State as a Chinese and Portuguese speaking diplomat. As a consular-coned officer who served in Vancouver (Canada), Shenyang (P.R. China), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Attorney Laiu processed over 30,000 visa cases and worked in every section of Consular Affairs overseas (Fraud Prevention Unit, Immigrant Visas, Non-Immigrant Visas, and American Citizen Services).

He will use his experience and expertise to deliver the highest quality of service to our clients.

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Founded in 1996, Zhang & Associates, P.C. offers legal services to clients worldwide in all aspects of U.S immigration law. We have successfully handled over ten thousand immigration cases.

At Zhang & Associates, P.C., our attorneys and supporting professionals are committed to providing high-quality immigration and non-immigration visa services. We specialize in NIW, EB-1, EB-5, PERM, I-485 I-130, H-1B, O, L and J cases. In the past twenty-two years, we have successfully helped over ten thousand clients get green cards. If you plan to apply for a green card, please send your CV to Attorney Jerry Zhang (info@hooyou.com) for a free evaluation.

Zhang & Associates, P.C.

Silicon Valley • New York • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Austin • Seattle • Sunnyvale • Madison • Honolulu

Tel:	1-800-230-7040, 713-771-8433
Email:	info@hooyou.com
website:	http://www.hooyou.com

 

(07/12/2020)