From January to June 2020, our firm received 36 NIW case approvals. USCIS approved 30 of these cases without Requests for Evidence (RFEs).

Out of the 36 NIW cases approved during this period, many applicants had a Ph.D. degree when applying. However, 6 of these applicants, or approximately 16.7%, 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, public finance, and music, 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.	24	66.7%
Master	6	16.7%
Bachelor	6	16.7%

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 11. The median number of independent citations they received was 91. The average processing time for these applications was 328 days, or about 11 months. The longest it took to approve an application was 792 days, while the shortest was 154 days.

Median number of Journal papers	11
Median number of independent citations	91
Average Processing days	328

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 36 NIW cases approved from January to June 2020, please refer to the table below.

Client	Degree	Research field	Journal papers	Independent Citations	Job title	RFE	Processing days
1	Bachelor	Economics	N/A	N/A	CEO	No	420
2	Ph.D.	Epidemiology	20	68	Postdoctoral Researcher	No	193
3	Master	Petroleum Engineering	N/A	N/A	Petroleum Engineer	No	650
4	Master	Oil and gas	N/A	N/A	Petroleum Engineer	No	303
5	Master	Financial Technology	7	12	R&D Director	No	250
6	Ph.D.	Public Finance	16	323	Lecturer	No	295
7	Bachelor	Online games	N/A	N/A	Product director	No	295
8	Ph.D.	Computational Biology	12	30	Postdoctoral Researcher	No	191
9	Bachelor	civil engineering	N/A	N/A	civil engineer	Yes	450
10	Master	Data Science	1	3	Lecturer	Yes	327
11	Ph.D.	Chemical Engineering	8	12	Postdoctoral Researcher	No	551
12	Bachelor	music	N/A	N/A	producer and director	No	490
13	Ph.D.	sustainable energy	11	153	Researcher	No	273
14	Master	Oil and gas	N/A	N/A	Measurement manager	Yes	792
15	Ph.D.	computer science	21	91	Postdoctoral Researcher	Yes	306
16	Master	education technology	N/A	N/A	Deputy General Manager	No	264
17	Ph.D.	animal science	87	2611	Researcher	No	337
18	Ph.D.	Polymer Physics	14	88	Postdoctoral Researcher	No	186
19	Ph.D.	Infectious diseases	8	140	Assistant Professor	No	182
20	Ph.D.	Chemical Engineering	35	508	Professor	No	173
21	Ph.D.	material science	25	246	Data Scientist	No	224
22	Bachelor	Orthopedics	3	6	orthopedic doctor	No	333
23	Bachelor	electronic circuits	N/A	N/A	Deputy General Manager	No	307
24	Ph.D.	Medical	N/A	N/A	Medical Doctor	Yes	686
25	Ph.D.	Environmental Engineering	N/A	N/A	Researcher	No	188
26	Ph.D.	energy storage systems	16	754	Senior Technical Specialist	No	175
27	Ph.D.	Biomedical science	19	233	Research Associate	No	200
28	Ph.D.	Electrical Engineering	2	60	Researcher	No	154
29	Ph.D.	Material Science	40	330	Postdoctoral Researcher	No	155
30	Ph.D.	biomedical	11	169	Research Fellow	No	260
31	Ph.D.	Geophysics	1	5	Geophysicist	No	295
32	Ph.D.	electrical engineering	5	31	Senior Researcher	No	335
33	Ph.D.	electrical engineering	2	31	Engineer	Yes	622
34	Ph.D.	Materials Science	8	122	Researcher	No	287
35	Ph.D.	Computer Science	9	60	Computer Scientist	No	388
36	Ph.D.	Biomedical Science	23	147	Anesthetist	No	283

 

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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, PERM, I-485 I-130, H-1B, O, L and J cases. In the past over twenty 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.

New York • Chicago • Houston • Austin • Seattle • Madison • Honolulu

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

 

(12/30/2020)