An Analysis of NIW Cases Approved from October to December 2013
From October to December 2013, our firm received 49 NIW case approvals. USCIS approved 31 of these cases without Requests for Evidence (RFEs). In addition, from October to December 2013, our firm also received 50 EB-1 case approvals. In summary, from January to December 2013, our firm received 357 NIW approvals and 216 EB-1 approvals.
Out of the 49 NIW cases approved in the past three months, most applicants had a Ph.D. degree when applying. However, 2 of these applicants, or approximately 4.1%, only 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 economics, biostatistics, mathematics, 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. |
44 |
89.8% |
Master |
2 |
4.1% |
Other |
3 |
6.1% |
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 9. The median number of citations they received was 84. The average processing time for these applications was 137 days, or more than four months. The longest it took to approve an application was 328 days, while the shortest was 41 days.
Median number of Journal papers |
9 |
Median number of citations |
84 |
Average Processing days |
137 |
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 for your immigration needs.
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 October to December 2013, please refer to the table below.
Client |
Degree |
Research field |
Journal papers |
Citations |
Job title |
RFE |
Processing days |
1 |
Ph.D. |
Aerospace engineering |
2 |
38 |
Senior Research Engineer |
No |
155 |
2 |
Ph.D. |
intelligent systems |
35 |
539 |
Senior Embedded System Engineer |
No |
119 |
3 |
N/A |
civil engineering |
N/A |
N/A |
Chief Technical Engineer |
No |
131 |
4 |
Ph.D. |
biology |
4 |
40 |
Researcher |
Yes |
139 |
5 |
Ph.D. |
Petroleum Geology & Engineering |
5 |
9 |
Petro physicist |
Yes |
152 |
6 |
Ph.D. |
structural engineering |
9 |
N/A |
Research Professor |
Yes |
308 |
7 |
M.S. |
Pharmaceutical Sciences |
21 |
101 |
Research Scientist |
Yes |
49 |
8 |
Ph.D. |
Economics |
8 |
20 |
Assistant Professor |
Yes |
182 |
9 |
Master |
Transportation engineering |
N/A |
N/A |
Transportation Safety Engineer |
Yes |
235 |
10 |
Ph.D. |
biochemistry |
8 |
283 |
Postdoctoral research fellow |
No |
60 |
11 |
Ph.D. |
birth defects |
19 |
199 |
Project Scientist |
Yes |
210 |
12 |
Ph.D. |
microbiology |
9 |
419 |
Postdoctoral associate |
No |
80 |
13 |
Ph.D. |
mining engineering |
7 |
30 |
Associate Service Fellow |
Yes |
257 |
14 |
Ph.D. |
genomics |
46 |
1992 |
Postdoctoral fellow |
No |
46 |
15 |
Ph.D. |
biophysics |
7 |
96 |
researcher |
No |
43 |
16 |
Ph.D. |
Clinical Chemistry |
8 |
30 |
Clinical Biochemistry Fellow |
No |
48 |
17 |
Ph.D. |
neurobiology |
4 |
113 |
Postdoctoral Scholar |
No |
53 |
18 |
Ph.D. |
telecommunications |
15 |
N/A |
Researcher |
No |
44 |
19 |
Bachelor |
neuropsychiatry |
N/A |
N/A |
physician |
Yes |
266 |
20 |
Ph.D. |
Structural Mechanics |
4 |
45 |
Structural Engineer |
No |
47 |
21 |
Ph.D. |
Pharmaceutical Sciences |
4 |
24 |
Research Scientist |
No |
120 |
22 |
Ph.D. |
biochemistry |
16 |
59 |
Associate professor |
No |
122 |
23 |
Ph.D. |
Chemical Engineering |
7 |
9 |
Process Engineer |
Yes |
252 |
24 |
Ph.D. |
Computer Engineering |
38 |
1300 |
Senior Manager |
No |
42 |
25 |
Ph.D. |
materials science |
13 |
49 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
45 |
26 |
Ph.D. |
Biostatistics |
3 |
N/A |
Research Associate |
Yes |
284 |
27 |
Ph.D. |
Materials science |
9 |
60 |
Research Associate |
No |
328 |
28 |
Ph.D. |
biochemical |
10 |
112 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
No |
52 |
29 |
Ph.D. |
Organic chemistry |
7 |
30 |
Research Scientist |
No |
50 |
30 |
Ph.D. |
Mechanical Engineering |
9 |
112 |
Senior Servo Engineer |
No |
47 |
31 |
Ph.D. |
nuclear technology |
1 |
N/A |
Nuclear Engineer |
Yes |
118 |
32 |
Ph.D. |
structural engineering |
9 |
52 |
Structural Engineer |
Yes |
245 |
33 |
Ph.D. |
Biochemistry |
3 |
6 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
236 |
34 |
Ph.D. |
Nuclear physics |
60 |
5937 |
Postdoctoral research scientist |
No |
60 |
35 |
Ph.D. |
Biological chemistry |
13 |
324 |
Postdoctoral researcher |
Yes |
189 |
36 |
Ph.D. |
biomedical engineering |
9 |
18 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
61 |
37 |
Ph.D. |
Biomedical Science |
5 |
6 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
Yes |
211 |
38 |
Ph.D. |
pharmacology |
14 |
111 |
Postdoctoral Associate |
No |
236 |
39 |
Ph.D. |
cancer treatment |
5 |
172 |
Postdoctoral Researcher |
No |
41 |
40 |
Ph.D. |
geotechnical engineering |
15 |
28 |
Civil-Geotechnical Engineer |
Yes |
187 |
41 |
Bachelor |
Ophthalmology |
6 |
N/A |
Medical Doctor |
No |
68 |
42 |
Ph.D. |
molecular biology |
5 |
35 |
Postdoctoral research fellow |
No |
66 |
43 |
Ph.D. |
molecular biology |
8 |
216 |
Assistant Project Scientist |
No |
201 |
44 |
Ph.D. |
chemical biology |
8 |
108 |
Researcher |
Yes |
117 |
45 |
Ph.D. |
civil engineering |
5 |
N/A |
Researcher |
Yes |
183 |
46 |
Ph.D. |
Biology |
10 |
40 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
No |
89 |
47 |
Ph.D. |
Stroke |
11 |
83 |
postdoctoral fellow |
No |
295 |
48 |
Ph.D. |
Applied mathematics |
28 |
117 |
Software Developer |
No |
98 |
49 |
Ph.D. |
chemical engineering |
10 |
84 |
Postdoctoral Researcher |
No |
53 |
Founded in 1996, Zhang & Associates, P.C. offers legal services to clients nationwide in all aspects of U.S immigration law. We have successfully handled thousands of 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, PERM, and I-485 cases. In the past
eighteen years, we have successfully helped thousands of 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.
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(01/24/2014)