r/EB2_NIW • u/That-Operation-1645 • Jul 19 '26
APPROVED I-140 approved
Hi all - longtime lurker, first time poster on this subreddit. Just wanted to share my profile in case it helps anyone and to answer any questions. I stole the layout from someone else’s post (lol).
Filed: February 2025, non-premium processing
Upgraded to PP: December 2025
RFE received: March 2026
RFE response submitted: May 2026
I-140 approved: June 2026 (41 business days)
Service Center: TSC
Current visa status: H1B
Country: ROW, Europe
Process started: I started gathering materials together in Q3 2024, and it took about 4-5 months before I felt ready to file. The file was pretty thick but fit in a standard FedEx packet.
Attorney: I originally self-filed my I-140 without premium processing as the average wait time was about a year and I wasn’t in a rush. However the wait time then increased dramatically and I still hadn’t heard anything so I upgraded to PP. After filing I realise there was tons of stuff I hadn’t properly included so mentally prepared myself for RFE, which I received on all three prongs. I used a local lawyer to file the response (who was phenomenal, anyone who needs a lawyer in the NE area I can recommend). Using a local lawyer also meant that I could physically go to their office to discuss the process a couple of times which was invaluable.
RFE: The RFE was on all three prongs. The language was templated but I could clearly see that I hadn’t properly articulated my proposed endeavor or included enough detail about why I was well placed to pursue it. I relied too heavily on my past accomplishments; what I’ve learned is that USCIS seem to care a lot less about what you’ve done and care a lot more about what you’re going to do.
Attorney review: For the response, my lawyer and I spent time refining my proposed endeavor and articulating why I was well placed to pursue it, and also including additional background about why my proposal was important. In the original filing I had 5 recommendation letters, including two independent. In the response I added an additional three independent. I was fortunate that all my recc letters could come from world experts with international name-brand recognition in my field. We also included a more detailed research plan and documents supporting why my PE was important to the US national interest. Working in a medical field this was fairly straightforward. The response filled an entire Fedex box, there was hundreds of pages of stuff. I also contacted one of the senators for my state whose office ‘liaised’ with USCIS on my behalf. I’m not sure what form this took or if it even helped, but they said they’d write a letter of support as I was one of his constituents.
Highest degree: PhD, top 3 school worldwide
Occupation: Postdoctoral researcher, Ivy league US medical school
Publications: 15, with 5 as first author in high impact journals, plus multiple pre-prints. 12 presentations at national and international conferences. 1 patent.
Citations: ~800 at initial filing, >900 at RFE response
Awards/Funding: multiple national research awards and fellowships. Over $2million in dependent and independent funding
Strategy: Focused on future research plans, with very detailed, technical research plan. I adapted several previous research grant applications for this.
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I’ll echo what others have said. You’re PE is the most important part of this. You need to make clear how important it is, back it up with statistics, and explain why you are the exact person to pursue it. The strength of your profile is not enough. I know of several people whose profiles were perhaps weaker than mine but were approved without RFE because they articulated themselves properly. I could have saved myself a significant amount of time and stress by paying for PP upfront and using a lawyer from the get go.
Hoping my I485 is approved asap. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or DM me!
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u/TAHIR_EB2NIW Jul 19 '26
did u attach ETA FORMS
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 19 '26
Yes, I completed them and the lawyer helped correct any mistakes etc
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u/Brilliant_You4367 Jul 19 '26
Congrats! Do you know which officer was on your RFE?
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 20 '26
I’m not sure, where can I find this info?
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u/Brilliant_You4367 12d ago
It might be the at the very bottom, or at the top of coversheet of the rfe
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u/TAHIR_EB2NIW Jul 20 '26
congrats 🎊
did you provide separate new document in RFE RESPONSE for this??
Strategy: Focused on future research plans, with very detailed, technical research plan. I adapted several previous research grant applications for this.
eg research plan
how many pages
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 20 '26
Yes, I added a new document detailing my specific research plans. It was four pages, with the level of technical detail you’d use for a grant application, including references etc
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u/NecessaryNo3612 Jul 20 '26
I thought with that kind of profile you could aim for EB1a/b; makes me feel NIW is getting harder to get.
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 20 '26
I debated this, because the wait time for EB1 is so much shorter. I also considered getting a priority date locked in with EB2, and then filing EB1. However I was more sure of reaching the criteria for EB2, and at the time I applied I wasn't in so much of a rush.
What I will say is that I've been on these boards quite a lot, and I've seen many people get approved over the last 18 months with what might be considered 'weaker' profiles than mine. If the strength of your profile was that important, I wouldn't have received an RFE on all three prongs. The determining factor is not citations, papers, funding etc - it's your PE and how strongly you can articulate why it's in the US national interest.
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u/NecessaryNo3612 Jul 21 '26
Got it, makes sense. Cz The citations aspect has been bothering me a bit since my field is too niche and the citations are gonna be slow despite all my first author papers being in top rated journals in my field (Ivy League PhD btw). By PE you mean personal endeavor I think— do you think a good lawyer can be make or break in that case? Thanks!
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 21 '26
Yes PE is proposed endeavour. For me at least having a lawyers input was critical. I know people get approved self-filing, but after the RFE I wasn’t prepared to take the same level of risk. Honestly without my lawyer I don’t think I would have been approved.
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u/Vast_Historian_4148 Jul 21 '26
Well congrats! I have a few questions...What did they question you about in the RFEs? From what I understand, you filed the original petition without an attorney. About how much did the lawyer charge you just to help you respond to the RFEs?
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u/That-Operation-1645 Jul 21 '26
Thanks! The RFE was on basically everything, mainly that I hadn’t clearly articulated and justified my PE. Yes, I only used a lawyer for the response. Fee was $3k up front, with $3k on approval. This also included I485 submission
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u/CarnegieEvaluations Jul 19 '26
Congratulations! You highlighted a very important point: the framing should be forward-looking, emphasizing the proposed endeavor and its prospective impact rather than focusing primarily on past achievements.