An Analysis of NIW Cases Approved from July to September 2017
From Julyto September 2017, our firm received 97 NIW case approvals. USCIS approved 79 of these cases without Requests for Evidence (RFEs).
Out of the 97NIW cases approved in the past three months, most applicants had a Ph.D. degree when applying. However, 26 of these applicants, or approximately 27%, 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, visual effects, and cultural studies, 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. |
65 |
67% |
Master |
26 |
27% |
Bachelor & others |
6 |
6% |
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 7. The median number of independent citations they received was 74. The average processing time for these applications was 219 days, or about 7 months. The longest it took to approve an application was 491 days, while the shortest was 21days.
Median number of Journal papers |
7 |
Median number of independent citations |
74 |
Average Processing days |
219 |
Before you start the application process, it is imperative that you consult a highly trained legal professional. As you may know, On December 27, 2016, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued new guidelines for adjudicating National Interest Waiver (NIW) cases in a decision known as the Matter of Dhanasar. This new standard replaces the previous guidelines decided in Matter of New York State Department of Transportation, more commonly referred to as NYSDOT, and serves to make the adjudication of NIWs clearer and less ambiguous.
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 97NIW cases approved from Julyto September 2017, please refer to the table below.
Client |
Degree |
Research field |
Journal papers |
Independent Citations |
Job title |
RFE |
Processing days |
1 |
Ph.D. |
Molecular Genetics |
5 |
579 |
Postdoctoral Researcher |
No |
378 |
2 |
Ph.D. |
organic chemistry |
11 |
329 |
Staff Scientist |
No |
461 |
3 |
Ph.D. |
pain management medicine |
1 |
50 |
Software Engineer |
No |
109 |
4 |
Ph.D. |
biotechnology |
3 |
65 |
Research Scientist |
No |
121 |
5 |
Ph.D. |
computational science and engineering |
6 |
48 total citations |
Postdoctoral Associate |
No |
199 |
6 |
Master |
aircraft design and maintenance |
1 |
N/A |
aircraft engineer |
No |
84 |
7 |
Ph.D. |
obesity and diabetes |
7 |
84 |
Postdoctoral Associate |
No |
76 |
8 |
Ph.D. |
geophysics |
13 |
90 |
Researcher |
No |
131 |
9 |
Ph.D. |
Biomedical Imaging |
16 |
132 |
Postdoctoral Research Fellow |
No |
117 |
10 |
Ph.D. |
Materials Science |
18 |
80 |
Assistant Professor |
No |
391 |
11 |
Ph.D. |
civil engineering |
4 |
N/A |
Structural Engineer |
No |
491 |
12 |
Bachelor |
oil and gas industry |
5 |
12 |
Completion Engineer |
No |
157 |
13 |
Ph.D. |
information technology systems |
35 |
76 |
Researcher |
No |
85 |
14 |
Ph.D. |
urology |
7 |
2 |
Chief of Urology |
No |
93 |
15 |
Bachelor |
Ocean Engineering |
N/A |
N/A |
engineer |
No |
98 |
16 |
Bachelor |
Economics |
N/A |
N/A |
Director |
No |
135 |
17 |
Ph.D. |
dermatology |
32 |
210 |
Adjunct Professor |
No |
93 |
18 |
Ph.D. |
computational biology |
10 |
361 |
Informatics Specialist |
No |
394 |
19 |
Master |
e-commerce |
N/A |
N/A |
Senior Manager |
No |
141 |
20 |
Ph.D. |
medicine |
3 |
N/A |
VP |
Yes |
211 |
21 |
Ph.D. |
Geosciences |
6 |
26 |
Technical Manager |
Yes |
332 |
22 |
Master |
Ocean Engineering |
2 |
N/A |
Marine Engineer |
No |
212 |
23 |
Ph.D. |
dentistry |
1 |
N/A |
Adjunct professor |
Yes |
325 |
24 |
Ph.D. |
cellular automata modeling |
6 |
59 |
Researcher |
No |
360 |
25 |
Master |
cuttings and waste injection |
5 |
N/A |
geomechanics engineer |
No |
72 |
26 |
Ph.D. |
engineering science |
2 |
5 |
engineer |
No |
65 |
27 |
Ph.D. |
cancer |
3 |
5 |
Researcher |
Yes |
490 |
28 |
Ph.D. |
Materials Science |
8 |
33 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
Yes |
308 |
29 |
Master |
Chemistry |
4 |
92 |
Chemical Engineer |
No |
285 |
30 |
Ph.D. |
organic chemistry |
8 |
185 |
Chemist |
No |
75 |
31 |
Ph.D. |
chemical engineering |
6 |
7 Select citations |
Postdoctoral Associate |
No |
417 |
32 |
Master |
Visual effects |
N/A |
N/A |
Artist |
No |
377 |
33 |
Master |
Computer Science |
N/A |
N/A |
Senior Researcher |
No |
85 |
34 |
Ph.D. |
Cultural Studies |
18 |
N/A |
Researcher |
Yes |
364 |
35 |
Master |
Breast Cancer |
10 |
91 |
Research Specialist |
No |
96 |
36 |
Ph.D. |
civil engineering |
4 |
30 |
civil engineer |
No |
144 |
37 |
Master |
Environmental Engineering |
7 |
219 |
Senior Engineer |
No |
138 |
38 |
Ph.D. |
Immunology |
13 |
57 |
Postdoctoral researcher |
No |
70 |
39 |
Ph.D. |
Optical Sciences |
11 |
223 |
Senior Research Scientist |
No |
371 |
40 |
Ph.D. |
Materials science |
31 |
1255 |
Staff scientist |
No |
372 |
41 |
Ph.D. |
Mechanical Engineering |
2 |
7 |
Senior Project Engineer |
No |
190 |
42 |
Master |
Business Administration |
N/A |
N/A |
Senior Manager |
No |
98 |
43 |
Ph.D. |
molecular biology |
18 |
357 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
76 |
44 |
Master |
Oil and Gas |
10 |
N/A |
Senior Consultant |
No |
204 |
45 |
Ph.D. |
semiconductor packaging |
7 |
N/A |
Principal Engineer |
No |
98 |
46 |
Master |
Chemical Engineering |
2 |
29 |
Senior Research Engineer |
No |
267 |
47 |
Master |
petroleum engineering |
9 |
8 |
Drilling Engineer |
No |
80 |
48 |
Bachelor |
Geoscience |
4 |
3 |
researcher |
No |
229 |
49 |
Master |
Civil Geotechnical Engineering |
3 |
N/A |
Project Engineer, |
No |
82 |
50 |
Ph.D. |
cardiovascular disease |
107 |
815 |
research scientist |
No |
47 |
51 |
Bachelor |
Oil and Gas |
N/A |
N/A |
Mechanical Engineer |
No |
197 |
52 |
Ph.D. |
Atmospheric Sciences |
N/A |
N/A |
Assistant Professor |
No |
381 |
53 |
Ph.D. |
Materials Science |
5 |
714 |
Postdoctoral researcher |
No |
63 |
54 |
Master |
data transmission security |
N/A |
N/A |
Electrical Engineer |
No |
50 |
55 |
Ph.D. |
electrochemical energy |
18 |
76 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
178 |
56 |
Master |
transportation engineering and traffic safety |
1 |
13 Select Citations |
Applications Programmer |
No |
363 |
57 |
Bachelor |
construction industry |
N/A |
N/A |
Engineer |
Yes |
412 |
58 |
Master |
anesthesiology |
37 |
98 |
Professor |
No |
74 |
59 |
Ph.D. |
stem cell therapy |
6 |
90 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
384 |
60 |
Ph.D. |
geoscience |
13 |
52 |
Associate Professor |
Yes |
199 |
61 |
Ph.D. |
Petroleum Engineering |
25 |
261 |
Assistant Professor |
Yes |
281 |
62 |
Ph.D. |
medicine |
8 |
N/A |
medical doctor |
Yes |
168 |
63 |
Ph.D. |
sustainable agricultural development |
10 |
63 |
Postdoctoral Research Associate |
No |
59 |
64 |
Ph.D. |
medical research |
6 |
75 |
Associate Professor |
No |
66 |
65 |
Ph.D. |
mechanical engineering |
1 |
1 |
No |
250 |
|
66 |
master |
optical engineering |
7 |
58 |
Optical Engineer |
No |
363 |
67 |
Ph.D. |
petroleum engineering |
2 |
35 |
petroleum engineer |
No |
189 |
68 |
Ph.D. |
Biomedical Research |
9 |
52 |
Associate Research Scientist |
No |
352 |
69 |
Ph.D. |
cardiovascular disease |
12 |
72 |
Hospitalist Physician |
No |
93 |
70 |
Ph.D. |
Computer Science |
15 |
N/A |
Visiting Scholar |
No |
353 |
71 |
Ph.D. |
computation |
8 |
190 |
Technical Manager |
No |
394 |
72 |
Ph.D. |
Geotechnical Engineering |
5 |
1 |
Geotechnical Project Manager |
No |
148 |
73 |
Master |
Geomechanics |
N/A |
1 |
|
No |
188 |
74 |
Ph.D. |
neuromechanics |
18 |
51 |
Assistant Research Professor |
No |
354 |
75 |
Ph.D. |
cancer |
7 |
131 |
Research Scientist |
No |
355 |
76 |
Master |
oil and gas industry |
N/A |
N/A |
Software Engineer |
Yes |
121 |
77 |
Ph.D. |
plastic surgery |
N/A |
N/A |
Director |
Yes |
259 |
78 |
Ph.D. |
anesthesiology |
9 |
N/A |
Director |
Yes |
245 |
79 |
Ph.D. |
cardiovascular surgery |
7 |
N/A |
Associate Professor |
Yes |
253 |
80 |
Master |
Electrical Engineering |
10 |
N/A |
Technical Director |
Yes |
247 |
81 |
Ph.D. |
plant biology |
9 |
313 |
Research Scientist |
No |
21 |
82 |
Ph.D. |
computational modeling |
4 |
1 |
Engineering Associate |
No |
213 |
83 |
Ph.D. |
biomedical engineering |
11 |
221 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
344 |
84 |
Master |
medical imaging systems |
6 |
25 |
Researcher |
No |
361 |
85 |
Master |
Materials science |
2 |
29 |
Researcher |
No |
175 |
86 |
Ph.D. |
biotechnology |
8 |
209 |
Research associate |
No |
353 |
87 |
Ph.D. |
Biomedical Engineering |
5 |
110 |
Researcher |
Yes |
412 |
88 |
Ph.D. |
computational science |
16 |
58 |
Researcher |
No |
334 |
89 |
Ph.D. |
photochemistry |
5 |
30 |
Postdoctoral Associate |
No |
157 |
90 |
Ph.D. |
mechanical engineering |
4 |
4 |
Researcher |
No |
168 |
91 |
Ph.D. |
Systems Engineering |
9 |
75 |
Research scientist |
No |
158 |
92 |
Master |
Biochemistry |
19 |
56 |
Research scientist |
No |
157 |
93 |
Ph.D. |
Genomics |
18 |
691 |
Research Associate |
No |
316 |
94 |
Ph.D. |
Structural Engineering |
6 |
N/A |
Researcher |
Yes |
399 |
95 |
Master |
engineering |
N/A |
65 |
engineer |
Yes |
72 |
96 |
Master |
Biophysics |
5 |
377 |
Researcher |
No |
89 |
97 |
Ph.D. |
cancer therapy |
9 |
174 |
Postdoctoral Fellow |
No |
190 |
------
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.
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.
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| Tel: | 1-800-230-7040, 713-771-8433 |
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(01/05/2018)