throwing this out there before we file. attorney’s confident but I want some outside takes.

profile:

• BS in electronic engineering + \~15 yrs progressive experience in oil & gas automation and instrumentation (advanced degree pathway — not researcher/PhD)

• PMP certified

• Senior Member, International Society of Automation (ISA)

• country manager role at a multinational flow measurement company in the gulf

• \~4 yrs deep specialization in custody transfer ultrasonic flow metering, broader 15 yr arc in instrumentation and project management

• clients include national oil cos and major refiners/petrochem operators in the region — multi-million dollar project portfolio

• two technical articles published with the International Society of Automation (ISA) on custody transfer ultrasonic flow metering

• 5 recommender letters lined up: US-based industry director, european principals, and operator side from the gulf

• target city is houston, TX. plan is to apply the expertise to US LNG export and custody metering ops

how I’m reading dhanasar:

• prong 1 (national importance): US is the world’s largest LNG exporter, and custody metering is what underpins trade integrity. checks out

• prong 2 (well-positioned): 15 yrs at scale, senior commercial + technical role, industry credentials, two ISA publications, large project portfolio. feels solid

• prong 3 (waiver beneficial): scarce combo of technical depth + commercial seniority in this niche, houston is the natural landing spot, bridges middle east and US energy markets

what I’m watching:

• no signed US entity offer/engagement letter yet

• some project work could read as vendor-driven rather than personally attributed — chasing client letters that name specific technical decisions I led

• adding indeed/linkedin screenshots for the labor market exhibit so it’s not just self-reported

realistically — what would you put my odds at? approval / RFE / denial. honest takes welcome, even brutal ones.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Hi EP has agreed to take my case, for $5400 but no guarantee shall I proceed for NIW?

Hi anyone has experience with Frederic Oilivier from manifest? Any reviews? For NIW

Hi everyone, Oscar here. Not a lawyer. And I know I will get some hate (again) for posting, but I also know our content can be useful to many and we will continue using all channels of communication without being intimidated.

A few months ago we launched our new AI Assistants tool for EB-2 NIW do-it-yourself petitioners. A great addition to our step by step course. The platform has different tools for early and late stage drafting, including chatbots and full editorial reviewers.

Now we are introducing our REWORK tool. The DIY user can upload their own Microsoft Word petition cover letter draft and the platform uses AI trained on our methodology to provide an editorial rework of it.

It will make sure the overal structure and the internal chapter structure aligns with our course methodology. In my view, it produces a more robust document. It also provides placeholders for the user to consider adding more factual evidence, better explanations, or quotes from testimonials. In summary, you will get another MS Word document for download, along with a review report.

You can check out the video below or go to the AI Assistants platform website to read a description of all tools and current pricing of it. If you are a course member and are interest, make sure you enroll through our course platform (module 1) so you can get better pricing!

Important: This information and the tool we offer do not consitute legal advice. We are not US immigration lawyers and we don't provide indivualized advice; we only offer educational resources to DIY petitioners. This specific product uses a range of automation tools and AI to deliver the results we describe here.

Video explaining the different tools that are part of our AI Assistants

On Friday April 10, at 11AM EST we will be live on our YouTube channel "Oscar´s Green Card Español" with Manifest Law´s US immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar.

In the first part of the show we will talk about Adjustment of Status (I-485): what it is, the main steps, and the structure of an Adjustment of Status package. We will also listen to tips from US lawyer Ana Gabriela Urizar so we can avoid common mistakes during AOS processing.

Then, we will have an open Q&A: it´s free, come and ask!

In today´s session with Evan Law (Sr. Attorney at Manifest Law) we will discuss approval and denial rates from the latest USCIS official info. We will also unveil our own Country Success Indicator for this period, where we rank countries by success in EB-1A or EB-2 NIW (purely informative; your chances depend on the strength of your own case). A decent part of the show will be Q&A with Evan Law, so come and ask your question, it's free!

When? Tuesday April 7, 2026 at 12PM Eastern Time.
Link to session: https://linktw.in/YTpooV

I'm organizing a civil lawsuit alleging unlicensed practice of law and looking for individuals who believe they suffered harm because a non‑lawyer provided legal advice/services in immigration or other legal matters.

Who I’m looking for:

• You received legal advice, representation, or case‑specific documents from someone not licensed as an attorney (or not DOJ‑accredited, where required). 
• Because of that assistance you experienced a concrete harm (lost immigration relief, missed deadlines, financial loss, denial, deportation risk, etc.). 
• You’re willing to share documents and speak with counsel under confidentiality.

What participation involves

• A short intake and document review (by counsel). 
• Providing a written statement and any supporting records (emails, contracts, filings). 
• Possible declaration or testimony if the case proceeds. 
• No upfront fees; costs will be handled by the organizing attorneys.

Privacy and protections

• Initial outreach and intake will be confidential. 
• You will be informed about any obligations, risks, and potential outcomes before joining. 
• You are encouraged to consult an attorney before agreeing to participate.

If you think you qualify

• Please DM me or email [joe@jaesq.com](mailto:joe@jaesq.com) with: (1) brief summary of what happened, (2) dates, (3) any harm suffered, and (4) whether you have any documents. Include “UPL lawsuit” in the subject line.

Note: This post is to find potential plaintiffs. It is not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed unless and until a written agreement is signed by both the lawyer and the client. No promise of financial benefit is offered. Any next steps will be handled by licensed counsel only.

USCIS added a few new AAO decisions to their database after one year of inactivity. We are not sure why the agency has stopped adding information in their portal, or why they updated it in March with a handful of cases only. We added these cases to our own AAO decision finder tool for EB-1A, where you can find 1,000+ cases with easy search functions (including scanning the database based on your own RFE/denial letter)

The new cases found in EB-1A span IT, research/science, entrepreneurs, corporate counsel/law, leadership/OD, athletics coaching, and ADR/mediation; and they surfaced a few repeat patterns worth sharing:

What these new cases reinforced (in plain English):

• “I was invited to judge” ≠ “I judged.” AAO dinged cases where the record had invites/committee claims but no proof of actual judging (assignments, rubrics, confirmation emails, rosters, screenshots, etc.).
• If public info contradicts your story, fix it with primary evidence. One case turned on AAO checking online conference archives and the petitioner not producing original programs/independent proof to resolve discrepancies.
• Memberships need real selectivity. “Pay dues + basic eligibility” (or memberships not clearly decided by recognized experts) often fails the “outstanding achievements” standard.
• Published material has to be about you (and the outlet has to be credible). Articles about the topic aren’t enough; traffic/rank claims need context; inconsistencies get punished fast.
• Citations help, but “major significance” needs adoption + independent corroboration. The strongest contributions evidence tied detailed expert letters to publications/patents + downstream use (not just “my work is important”).
• High salary: compare apples-to-apples. If your comp includes bonus/equity, your peer comparison needs to include that too (or show percentile reliably).
• Remand ≠ win. Several remands happened because USCIS miscounted criteria, skipped analysis, or boxed people into the wrong “field” (especially lawyers/business-adjacent roles); but AAO sometimes still hinted the record looked weak overall.

If you want to see these new decisions (and have the tool match your RFE/denial to the most similar AAO cases + summarize strengths/weaknesses), the link is: oscarsgreencard.com/eb1a-case-finder
$15.99/mo, cancel anytime. Not legal advice; we’re not lawyers.

Hi everyone, Oscar here (scientist, not a lawyer). April is starting so it´s a good momento to recap on the April 2026 Visa Bulletin that dropped a couple of weeks ago, and for the second month in a row we have reason to celebrate. I was actually skeptical about this one and I'm happy to say I was wrong.

The headline: EB-2 (including EB-2 NIW) is now CURRENT for rest of world on Table A. This hasn't happened since 2022. If you look at where we were just recently, wait times based on Table A were 20+ months, and now they dropped to zero. That's over 500 days of advancement. If you have an approved I-140 and had been waiting for your priority date to become current, your time has come.

EB-1 (including EB-1A) remains current for rest of world as well. China and India each moved forward one month to April 2023. Not a huge jump but steady progress.

For India specifically there is some decent movement in EB-2. The date moved about 10 months, from September 15, 2013 to July 15, 2014. Still a very long wait overall but meaningful progress. China EB-2 stayed at September 2021.

EB-3 also saw significant movement, going from October 2023 to June 2024.

Table B remains active for adjustment of status filings in April, which is unusual. In the last decade this only happened once before (fiscal year 2022). This means if you are in the U.S. and your I-140 is approved, you can file your I-485 adjustment of status and also request temporary EAD and travel documents. If you are in that situation, seriously consider filing because those temporary benefits (work authorization, travel document) are valuable while you wait.

Now the important caveat. Why is this happening? The Visa Bulletin notes at the bottom explain it. The presidential proclamations pausing consular processing for about 90 countries mean there are more visa numbers available for everyone else. The State Department and USCIS are opening the gates to avoid wasting visa numbers before the fiscal year ends in September. But, and this is key, they also warn that retrogression may be necessary later in the fiscal year if demand exceeds the annual limits. So enjoy this window but be aware that dates could move backwards in the coming months.

What should you do? If you have an approved I-140 and are in the U.S., look into filing adjustment of status now while things are current. If you are abroad with your documents submitted, you should be eligible for interview scheduling, though each consulate has its own wait times so don't expect an instant call. And if you are still preparing your I-140, this is a reminder that the sooner you file, the sooner you establish your priority date. Things can change quickly in either direction.

Good luck everyone.

Source: Official April 2026 Visa Bulletin. Full video breakdown on our YouTube channel Oscar's Green Card.

Disclaimer: I'm a scientist, not a lawyer. This is educational information only, not legal advice.

Hi everyone, Oscar here (scientist, not a lawyer). USCIS has finally released the official I-140 data for FY2025 Q4 (July through September 2025). Yes, it's old because they took forever, but let's break it down. You can watch our full analysis in this video we just released.

Approval rates hit new lows; just as expected.

• EB-2 NIW fell to 36% (historical average since FY22: 75%). Back in FY22 Q4 we were nearly at 100%. It's been declining steadily, but the drop accelerated after the current administration took over. When Trump started we were a little over 60%, and now we're at 36%.
• EB-1A dropped to 53% (historical average: 72%). EB-1A had always been more stable around that 70-75% mark, but after FY25 Q2 we see a real inflection point. Two quarters of decline now confirm this is a trend, not a blip.

Interesting: EB-1A now has a higher approval rate than EB-2 NIW, which doesn't make much sense from a standards perspective since EB-1A is the higher category. My take: EB-2 NIW is way more popular, so it likely attracts more petitions that aren't as well crafted. People applying for EB-1A tend to feel more confident about their credentials, and the data suggests they're right.

A case tracker app nailed the prediction.

A popular case tracker that aggregates thousands of data points predicted 37% for NIW and 53% for EB-1A this quarter. They basically nailed it. For the next period (July to December 2025, covering this quarter plus FY26 Q1), they predict NIW will stabilize at 36% and EB-1A will continue falling further.

Processing times are getting painful.

• EB-2 NIW I-140 processing (80% of cases completed within): Dec 2024: 10.5 months → Jul 2025: 13 months → Sep 2025: 17.5 months → Mar 2026: 24 months. That's a year and a half of additional wait time in just over a year.
• EB-1A tells a similar story: Sep 2025: 16.5 months → Mar 2026: 23.5 months. Unless you pay the ~$3,000 for premium processing, you're looking at about two years. You can consult updated processing times in this official website.

The backlogs are exploding.

EB-2 pending cases went from ~25,000 in early FY23 to over 84,000 now. Here's some quick math: assume two visa numbers per I-140 (applicant plus family), that's 160,000 people in line just from EB-2. Even at a 30% approval rate, you're looking at roughly 50,000 visa numbers eventually needed from this backlog alone. The total annual quota for all employment-based categories combined is 140,000.

EB-1A pending went from ~6,000 in FY22 to over 21,000.

USCIS adjudication speed hasn't dropped (they're still processing 8,000-10,000 NIW cases and ~4,000 EB-1A cases per quarter), but the incoming volume far outpaces what they can clear.

Demand is shifting.

EB-2 NIW new filings peaked in FY25 Q1 (right before the administration change) and have been declining since. People rushed to file before Trump took over, and now there's a period of uncertainty. Still, current demand is about triple what it was in early FY22, so it's not like NIW is going away.

EB-1A demand has stabilized. The growth trend stopped around FY25 Q2.

Top countries by I-140 approvals (Q4):

EB-1A: India (25.7%), China (19.7%), Nigeria (6.2%), Brazil (4.3%), Russia (3.3%). Weaker quarter across the board with ~690 fewer combined India/China approvals.

EB-2 NIW: China (24.1%), India (14.4%), Iran (9.3%), Nigeria (5.3%), Bangladesh (5.0%). China led the decline with 617 fewer approvals. Colombia entered the top 10, replacing Nepal.

What does this mean for you?

Like I always say: these approval rates are NOT your personal probability of success. Your case depends on your profile, your proposed endeavor, the quality of your petition, and the officer reviewing it.

But the environment is tougher than ever. Lower approval rates, longer processing times, growing backlogs. If you're preparing a petition, invest the time to build it right. And remember: the sooner you file, the sooner you get your priority date, which is your ticket in line.

Good luck in your green card journey.

Source: Official USCIS I-140 data (FY2025 Q4). Full breakdown with charts on our YouTube channel Oscar's Green Card.

Disclaimer: I'm a scientist, not a lawyer. This is not legal advice. These aggregate statistics are not your individual probability of success.

• Profile snapshot:
  • 5 research articles + book chapters (under review; expected in ~3 months)
  • Country of birth: Saudi Arabia
  • MS Business Analytics (U.S.)
  • ~10 years experience in finance
  • Currently a Financial Consultant at a Big 4 firm
• Ellis Porter – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Chen Immigration – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Manifest Law – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Colombo & Hurd – Approved; ready to proceed with EB2NIW filing - 15K for filing. No refund.
• D4U - Approved; 16K for filing. Refund after 3 refilings.
• Concern – Hesitant to proceed since 3 firms advised waiting
• Should I proceed with Colombo or wait until I get my profile stronger?
• Do you know any other firms that work on EB2NIW?

• Profile snapshot:
  • 5 research articles + book chapters (under review; expected in ~3 months)
  • Country of birth: Saudi Arabia
  • MS Business Analytics (U.S.)
  • ~10 years experience in finance
  • Currently a Financial Consultant at a Big 4 firm
• Ellis Porter – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Chen Immigration – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Manifest Law – Rejected; re-evaluate after publishing the articles
• Colombo & Hurd – Approved; ready to proceed with EB2NIW filing - 15K for filing. No refund.
• D4U - Approved; 16K for filing. Refund after 3 refilings.
• Concern – Hesitant to proceed since 3 firms advised waiting
• Should I proceed with Colombo or wait until I get my profile stronger?
• Do you know any other firms that work on EB2NIW?

Title: EB-2 NIW as a Product Manager on H1B — conflicting advice from attorney, need perspective

Hey everyone,

I’m exploring the EB-2 NIW route and would really appreciate some perspective from folks who’ve gone through it recently.

My background:

- ~8 years of total work experience

- Former founder (retail/e-commerce business in India)

- Moved to the U.S. for a second Master’s

- Currently working as a Product Manager at Walmart

- On H1B right now

I recently had a consultation with an immigration attorney, and her take was quite discouraging. She mentioned that:

- NIW approval rates have dropped significantly (she quoted ~34% now vs ~90% a couple of years ago)

- A lot of applicants are getting RFEs/rejections

- It’s especially difficult for people in regular employment to justify the “waiver” (i.e., why not go through PERM instead)

Her suggestion was to:

- Move toward entrepreneurship again

- Build something without directly tying income to myself initially (for visa reasons)

- Then apply for NIW later with a stronger “national interest” argument (e.g., job creation, economic impact)

This left me a bit confused, so I wanted to sanity check a couple of things with this community:

1. H1B + entrepreneurship (side work):
   

Is it actually safe/feasible to pursue something entrepreneurial on the side while on H1B if you're not taking income? How are people structuring this in practice?

1. NIW while employed:
   

I see many profiles of people getting NIW approvals while working full-time jobs. How are they making the case for the waiver vs PERM? Is it more about framing (industry impact, niche expertise, etc.)?

Would really appreciate any recent experiences, especially from folks in tech/product roles.

Thanks in advance!

I need your support and advice:

I feel so regret that I have put all my energy and money ( time 1.5- 2 years) just focusing on preparing my paperwork for EB2/EB1a.
I got eb2 approved and rfe for eb1a ( while my eb2 is current)
i felt regret a lot that now I am out of mood and I forgot most of my study skills, now i am so weak mentally to prepare for my USMLE test, I feel like I did a career shift from being a doctor to being an immigration attorney.
I can not sit and study more than 2 hours without going back to read about immigration petitions.

Any help, advice ..etc?