CASE: I-485 Based on Approved I-140 / National Interest Waiver
CLIENT: Korean
LOCATION: Cleveland, OH
Our client contacted us in February 2014 about the possibility of doing a National Interest Waiver. He is a post-doctorate researcher and scientist in the field of biomedical engineering and cardiology research, and is currently working as a post-doctorate researcher in an academic institution in Cleveland, Ohio.
His significant contributions have placed him at the pinnacle of the field of biomedical engineering and cardiology research. He is a leading scientist with an excellent reputation in the area of mechanism of atrial fibrillation. Our client’s research work has provided fundamental understanding of atrial fibrillation in an animal model of atrial fibrillation, and has advanced the development of an algorithm for future clinical treatment of atrial fibrillation by targeting critical epicardial and endocardial sites for ablation for many atrial fibrillation patients in the United States. Throughout his research career, our client has provided significant scientific contributions relevant to understanding mechanisms of atrial fibrillation which were highly evaluated by the reviewers of various journals and by colleagues and experts in the field.
Upon review of his credentials and qualifications, our office determined that he was qualified for the National Interest Waiver (NIW) category. Being qualified for NIW is beneficial since you would not need an employer nor family member to petition for you for green card purposes. You’d be eligible for a self-petition and unless you are from China or India, in which case you’d still have to wait for priority dates to be current, you would be eligible to apply for adjustment of status (green card) immediately without any lag in priority dates.
As a primer, NIW applicants must have a master’s or higher degree. The landmark immigration case that discusses the standards for NIWs is Matter of New York State Department of Transportation, 22 I&N Dec. 215 (Comm.1998). This case held that the qualifying applicant must show the following elements in his or her I-140 NIW petition: First, it must be shown that the alien seeks employment in an area of substantial intrinsic merit. Next, it must be shown that the proposed benefit will be national in scope. Finally, the petitioner seeking the waiver must establish that the alien will serve the national interest to a substantially greater degree than would an available U. S. worker having the same minimum qualifications.
Our office prepared a 19-page brief for our client’s NIW filing. Our client also obtained 7 letters of recommendation from his colleagues and internationally-recognized scientists. Our office also included his publication records, presentation records, and conference materials in the NIW application. We demonstrated the intrinsic merit of our client’s research in the United States, the national scope of his research, and asserted that our client would serve the national interest to a substantially greater degree than would an available U.S. worker having the same minimum qualifications. His NIW application contained 29 exhibits (Exhibit A to CC).
Our office filed his I-140(NIW) petition to the USCIS Nebraska Service Center on June 10, 2014. On November 18, 2014, the USCIS approved his I-140 petition without any Requests for Evidence.
When he filed his I-140 petition, he simultaneously filed his adjustment of status application (I-485). Eventually, on February 14, 2015, his adjustment of status application was approved by the USCIS Nebraska Service Center. Now, he is a green card holder.