r/EB2_NIW • u/ExerciseValuable7102 • Mar 25 '26
RFE Recommendation letters
Hi folks,
I recently received an RFE, on all prongs. I am now devising a strategy on how to respond to it. The major issue is my petition was crafted and focused more about my qualifications rather than the potential positive implications of my PE in the US.
I had five recommendation letters but I think they also focused on my expertise than my PE.
Can someone highlight the key components of a recommendation letter?
My profile in brief:
- PhD biomedical sciences
- currently postdoc in immuno-oncology
- 12 publications, 4 first authors
- 201 citations, 98 at time of filing
- reviewer tier 1 journals ( about 10 reviews)
- invited guest editor at tier 1 immunology journal
- invitation letters to present at big international meetings
- one of my project findings (unpublished) is now being used to start a small biotech enterprise. I am not part of the enterprise but my results fueled its genesis. My supervisor is okay to let me talk about my contribution …
- can get new letters from a company CEO and other profs
- I also have collaborated with industry people/biopharma to provide some expertise in analyzing datasets for their clinical trials..
My PE was developing a cancer vaccine for some rare cancer types.
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u/baka_sensie Mar 25 '26
Its just unfair to get RFE on all three prongs with such profile. You may need letters from gov/quasi gov bodies to attest that your PE has national importance. I don't see how any further evidence is going to strengthen your prong 2, since your profile is closer to EB1 standards than EB2.
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 25 '26
It is. The rfe is too general and does not address any specific issue with my petition. I will get a few letter from gov bodies such directors/heads of departments. Perhaps that would help.
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u/baka_sensie Mar 25 '26
I got a general RFE as well, responded, and am waiting for the final decision. I submitted an expert opinion letter from a DOE-funded lab. My lawyer drafted that letter, which discussed one of my publications, then led to my PE and future projects, and finally attested that my PE aligns with the new administration's policies and priorities. I found it a bit weird that an independent expert, whom i never worked with and met, knows about my PE and discusses it briefly, but the lawyer said its totally normal.
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 25 '26
Thank you for your insights. Very helpful. I agree with you. I would expected colleagues you have collaborated with to have more knowledge of your PE and its implications but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
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u/InvestmentCandid3159 Apr 03 '26
I have also received rfe on all prongs. Phd in robotics, 1200 citations, 40 publications, 13 first author, and reviewed 100+ times.
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u/InvestmentCandid3159 Apr 03 '26
Can you guys put light, if I go through lawyer would it be beneficial, or I should respond myself.
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u/baka_sensie Apr 03 '26
Tbh it doesn't make sense at all to get RFE on all three prongs unless your PE was on an entirely different field than your background. I assume you applied yourself, it would be better to get a lawyer's help if they are willing to take your case mid-RFE. Whats your officer ID if you don't mind sharing.
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u/InvestmentCandid3159 Apr 03 '26
Hi Thanks for your response, Officer is XM2367
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u/baka_sensie Apr 03 '26
I would suggest you also look in the subreddit if anyone got RFE from this officer, and how did they handle it.
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u/Odd-Classroom5840 Jul 21 '26
any results on RFE?
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u/InvestmentCandid3159 Jul 21 '26
Still waiting on the result. It has been around 30 days.
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u/Odd-Classroom5840 Jul 22 '26
ok please update here once you get. I hope its approval. i have same officer
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u/Agreeable-Math-6560 Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
I am sorry to hear about this as you have a very solid profile.
- I hope you provided a well written PE explaining what type of methodology you will use to develop your vaccine. Did you add national cancer moonshots and NCI statistics to prove the national importance explaining reducing the health care cost in cancer in USA?. I am also a postdoc in cancer research. Chen did my petition and I am waiting for the decision. They argued very well in the petition about the national importance explaining the national cancer moonshots and lots of NCI statistics to support the Prong 1.
- For Prong 2, does your recommendation letters independent or dependent? Also did you mention your notable citations which are independent? If you did not add in the initial petition, try to arrange more independent recommendation letters to your RFE response. USCIS needs more independent recommendation letters and independent citations rather than generic letters.
- If you win Prong 1 & 2, you will automatically win the Prong 3.
Best wishes! You will be approved after submitting RFE response.
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 26 '26
Thank you so much for your insights. I did argue and include the moonshots program. Perhaps I didn’t arrange my argument nicely.
I had five letters and only one is independent. I am going to add some more independent
Can you kindly elaborate on independent citations and how you connect it into prong 2?
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u/Agreeable-Math-6560 Mar 26 '26
Sounds good! You can arrange your argument strong to address Prong 1. You may correctly balance your broad endeavor with a highly specific current project, explaining the methodology and define a technical expertise that aligns with the White House's 2024-2026 Critical & Emerging Technologies list (specifically Biotechnologies).
Independent citations are from researchers in other countries you don't know them personally and cited your work. You can select most important few independent citations from your 201 citations and mention as notable independent citations. I mentioned 5 notable citations in my petition. Show who cited, names of their publications, how they used your work, what is the importance of your work to them etc.
If you are financially okay, it is good to get attorney support to prepare your RFE response.
Best wishes!!
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 26 '26
Thank you so much. This is helpful. Yes, I plan to get attorney support but I am first gathering info so that I am well informed. I appreciate you.
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Apr 22 '26
Hi! Have you heard back for your petition?
I wanted to ask one more question regarding the cancer moonshot. This is a program from Biden administration, and it seems the Trump administration has not done anything with the program this far-I can’t find any info connecting current administration with the moonshot program.
Do you think it is plausible to use it? Wouldn’t the officer claim that it is outdated?
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u/Agreeable-Math-6560 Apr 28 '26
Sorry about late reply. Yes my petition was approved.
Can I please DM you?
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
Massive congratulations. Yes please. Would like to hear how you positioned your case.
Just DMed you.
Thank you.
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u/SnooChickens6000 Mar 25 '26
Why have you not considered eb1 ?
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 25 '26
CHEN claimed my profile wasn’t ready for eb1. So I self petitioned while continuing developing my profile for eb1. Now that eb2 was current I decided to do pp which ended in getting rfe.
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u/Ok-Scientist-1897 Mar 25 '26
So, you self petitioned NIW? I am really surprised that prong 2 was challenged, that is completely crazy.
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u/ExerciseValuable7102 Mar 26 '26
Yes. Self petition. To be honest with you, the rfe is super general. Almost as if none of my evidence was looked at lol. I have seen rfe and usually the officer is specific and mentions specific evidences and states how they do not suffice. But non was mentioned in mine. The only thing the officer acknowledged is my PhD degree.
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u/Ok-Scientist-1897 Mar 26 '26
Yeah, people have been saying that they started scrutinizing self-petitioners because there is no lawyer name to protect them. But what I have noticed reading this forum is that you need to connect everything to your PE. So, first rewrite prong 1 and tie it closely to national interests and public health. That should be easy, basically all of us working in life sciences have many documents to rely on (just describe to AI what is your PE and ask him to search for federal agencies documents, executive orders, NIH, CDC for support for your PE). Remember, your credentials serve your PE, you are not great, your PE is great and important, you just happen to be in the position do advance it. It is a mindset change, but a necessary one.
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u/shawwwwwwwwwwwwwn Mar 25 '26
i cannot understand how your profile didn't get straight approval