u/Immediate_Reveal_418

Hi all, I'd like some honest opinions before I commit.

I'm a physician-scientist working in clinical outcomes research in bariatric and metabolic surgery at a large academic hospital outside the US. I filed my EB-2 NIW with Chen Immigration and it's pending. I asked them to evaluate me for EB-1A and they said I have a viable case based on three criteria. Still, with how strict adjudication has become lately and how high the EB-1A bar already is, I want a reality check before spending the money.

Judging the work of others:

• 122 peer reviews for PubMed-indexed journals, each documented with the invitation email and the thank-you email confirming completion

Scholarly articles:

• 115+ peer-reviewed publications, 31 as first author
• 7 book chapters, 2 as first author

Original contributions of major significance:

• 1,143 citations
• Findings incorporated into clinical practice guidance: the IFSO 2024 position statement (international) and ASMBS guidance (US national society)
• Work cited in several Level I meta-analyses

Their proposal:

• Approval or Refund service, with a discounted fee since I'm a returning client: $5,000 reusing my NIW letters, $5,300 with 2 new letters, or $5,600 with 4 new letters

My questions:

1. Given current adjudication trends, is relying on exactly 3 criteria too risky, especially since original contribution is usually the one that gets challenged?
2. Does my profile realistically clear the final merits determination, or would I be borderline?
3. For those who used Chen's Approval or Refund for EB-1A, how did it go, especially with RFEs?

Thanks in advance, I'd really value hearing from people who've been through this.