Happy to announce that my I-485 got approved.

PD: Jan/18/2026
Filed I-140 with PP (prepared with Chen), and then got it approved without any RFEs on March 10, 2026.

Filed DIY I-485 to Chicago lockbox on: 3/28/2026
Biometric Date: 5/4/2027
FO transfer to SFV on Jun/4/2026
3rd FTA: 6/29/2026
Silent update: 7/3/2026
H008: 7/4/2026

Still surprised the whole deal only took 5 months! Currently H1B, ROW and applied with spouse (both got approved yesterday). If you need more details please DM me.

Very thankful to this subreddit, I learned a lot and helped me a lot too.

My i140 has approved and now I’m left with 1 year of academic training on J1. Would it be possible if i apply for j1 waiver and get it within 6 months and use EAD obtained after i485 to seek a job? Im confused as some posts mention not using EAD obtained through i485 for jobs. How long can you stay on EAD through pending i485 and why is it not safe to travel on i131 when the purpose of that form is to be able to travel internationally?

Please don’t mind my noob questions and i’ll be grateful for the detailed answers.

I’m eligible to file my EB-2 NIW I-140 and I-485 concurrently but my attorney recommends waiting until the I-140 is approved. They said that since the green card process takes about a year anyway concurrent filing doesn’t provide much benefit.
I’ve seen many people suggest filing concurrently to protect against visa retrogression and to get the EAD/AP sooner.
For those who have been through this recently:
Did you file concurrently or wait?
Why did your attorney recommend one approach over the other?
Looking back would you make the same decision?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. Thanks!

Can the primary applicant submit the I 485 a month before submitting the spouse I 485

I've been following different subreds here and I'd like to share my update as others have; hopefully someone will benefit from it.

EB2-NIW (ROW)

PD: 6/2/2025

Upgraded to PP: 5/6/2026

Approved (I-140): 7/1/2026 (no RFE) - 39 business days

Background:

\- Structural engineer with 16 years of UK work experience.

\- Charted Engineer, UK

\- Professional Engineer, US

\- PhD in structural engineering, UK University

\- 2 'high profile journal publications (2021, 2022) with 24 citations at the time of filing (now just 30)

\- 1 Conference Paper (2018)

\- Currently on E2 visa to run engineering consultancy which is related to my PE

\- PE: Structural health monitoring and damage identification in structures for economic and safety benefits.....

\- Recommendation letters: 3 (2 from former line managers, 1 from research supervisor)

\- Letter of Intent: 2 (1 from equipment supplier, 1 from web developer/data logger, both drafted by Attorney)

\- A lot of updates done to my profile, business, website plus 2 journal papers under review and 1 conference paper. All done after PP upgrade (not sure if it had an impact but I did it in anticipation of an RFE, luckily I didn't get any)

Attorney: C&H

Center: NSC

I was deeply worried about my relatively low publications and citation count and 2 other Attorneys turned me down as a result of this - one asked me to do some more research and publish more recently. But C&H focussed on my work experience and leveraged on my E2 consultancy to show I'm well positioned. We added a business plan and the legal argument appeared to be very compelling for each prong citing government needs and executive orders and matching my endeavor to each.

Now, I can focus on running the business with residency certainty.

I'm cut between consular processing and AOS for the next stage especially as I got a spouse and son in school here in the US.

Thanks a million to all those who inspired me and others with their timelines and experiences. I hope this adds to someone else's inspiration. Any questions? Please ask, I'm happy to help!

I know this might be too early to be frustrated but I am. Not solely from the green card itself - I believe many people in the same boat. I'm on STEM OPT. I really want to move on to another career path asap. Feel like I'm wasting my energy and talent here.

Have been locked in the US for over three years. My case was transferred to non local FO in early June. No updates yet while I see others got approved who submitted later than me (and also the same FO)

Eb2 niw filed my own when doing phd
PD 10/2023
RD I485 - early April.
ROW non banned. Single filer
STEM OPT

I hope i will get updates within a few weeks.

Profile: I'm an engineer with a master's degree and about 10 years of experience in the rare earth minerals field. My priority date is December 2024, and I upgraded to premium processing. Shortly afterward, I received an RFE challenging all three NIW prongs.

My case is being handled by the Nebraska Service Center, and I noticed that the RFE does not include an officer ID.

I currently work on active DoD, DOE, and Air Force contracts, and I'm a PI on some of them. I included these contracts with my initial petition, along with letters of support documenting my contributions and reports on the projects that list me by name.

For Prong 2, the officer stated that I should provide evidence of original contributions of major significance, evidence of high citation counts, and specifically requested my Google Scholar profile.

Has anyone successfully overcome this type of RFE? If so, how did you address it, especially if your work was primarily industry-based rather than academic?

This was the exact text from the RFE; I couldn’t upload it here for some reason

Without documentation showing that the beneficiary's work has made original contributions of major significance to the field, USCIS cannot conclude the beneficiary is well positioned.

Please submit the following:

• Published articles and/or media reports about your achievements or current work
• Evidence of a strong citatory history and that your work has influenced your field of endeavor (preferably from Google Scholar)

Hi guys! Wanted share this good news with you. Got approval today. Feeling extra happy receiving approval on this very special day!

Following is my timeline.

PD: March 2024

RD: March 2026

Bio: May 1

SUs: 5/13, 5/15, 6/6 (Transferred to SFV)

FTAs: 05/01, 07/03

FO: SFV

Spouse: Yes (Approved within 10 minutes of primary)

Status: F1-OPT

75 COC

I wish you all the best! Happy 4th of July!

Hi everyone, I’m confused and anxious about EB-2 NIW/I-140 tracking. People mention Track My I-140, queue position, cases ahead of you, approval rate, online block, Nebraska vs Texas, etc., but I don’t really understand how reliable any of it is.

Is Track My I-140 actually useful, or just a rough estimate? How do people know where their case is being handled?what should I look for in the website?

Also, for Premium Processing, has anyone received a decision after 45 business days, like day 47, 50, or later? If it goes past 45 days, does it usually mean RFE, or can it still be approval?

Hi everyone,
I just received a status update that USCIS has issued an RFE for my EB-2 NIW I-140 under Premium Processing after about 37 business days. I am still waiting for the actual RFE notice to arrive.
While I wait, I’d like to ask those who have successfully responded to an NIW RFE:
What additional evidence helped strengthen your case?
what documents did you submit?

What evidence do you believe made the biggest difference in getting your case approved after the RFE?

I have a background in cybersecurity with professional experience, industry certifications, recommendation letters, GitHub projects, and HackerOne vulnerability research.
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who received an NIW RFE and was later approved. Your experience and suggestions would be very helpful Thank you 🙏

Wanted to share my story and timeline since I know how any information about other people's experience can be helpful.

Timeline:

• PD / I-140 Filed: December 23, 2024
• Premium Processing: Upgraded after filing (May 11, 2026)
• Approval Date: July 2, 2026 (received an email after 36 business days)
• Service Center: Nebraska

Background:

• Country of Origin: ROW (not 39)
• Current Position: PhD student at an R1 US university
• Field: Quantum Chemistry
• Law Firm: a boutique firm found by a referral, can share more if anyone's interested

Petition Highlights at Filing:

• 4 peer-reviewed journal publications (3 first-authored)
• Around 40 citations
• Participation in NSF-funded research
• 7 recommendation letters (3 dependent, 4 independent)
• 2 Master's degrees (1 from my home country, another one from an R1 US university)

I worked with a small firm a friend of mine recommended. I worked and communicated directly with the principal attorney without a paralegal in between. The attorney was very responsive (usually emailed me back within an hour if I had any questions along the way, whether regarding the petition itself or general questions around the news in immigration). When I was shopping around for a lawyer, I received an offer for the refund option from Chen and Ellis Porter, but still I decided to go with this firm. They didn't offer any refunds (they never do), but I felt they offered more of a personalized approach. I don't know whether it's a good thing in case of EB-2 NIW where following a template from a firm with high approval rates seems to work.

Happy to answer any questions, and wish everyone good luck!

Hi everyone,

I’m considering filing an EB2-NIW self-petition and I’d really appreciate some honest feedback about my profile.
I know nobody can predict USCIS decisions, but I’d like to understand whether my profile seems competitive and, more importantly, what I should strengthen before filing.

Chen Immigration declined to represent my case, while Lopes Law, Ellis Porter, and Colombo & Hurd were willing to take it.

Here’s a summary of my background:
Brazilian citizen.
Bachelor’s degree in Archival Science.
Technology degree in Database Administration.
Bachelor’s degree in Public Management.
Postgraduate degree in Electronic Records Management.
Postgraduate degree in Data Protection & Compliance.
10+ years working with records management, information governance, compliance, digital preservation, and public-sector information management.
Some of my work includes:
Developing classification plans.
Developing records retention schedules.
Business process mapping.
Privacy/data mapping.
Risk identification and assessment.
Information Governance.
Digital preservation.
Metadata and taxonomy.
Archival systems.
Information retrieval.
AI-related document classification projects.
Recently working as an AI Evaluator for LLM projects.
I also belong to:
ARMA International
Archives and Records Association (UK & Ireland)
My proposed endeavor would focus on Information Governance, Data Governance, Records Management, AI-ready information ecosystems, privacy, compliance, and digital transformation.
My questions are:

1 - Does this profile look competitive for EB2-NIW?
2 - What do you think are the strongest aspects?
3 - What weaknesses do you see?
4 - What evidence should I build before filing?
5 - Would publications, conference presentations, certifications, or professional memberships make the biggest difference?

I’d really appreciate constructive criticism.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m considering EB2-NIW and wanted to ask for general advice from people who have been through the process, especially those who did not have publications or citations. I have 5 years of experience in my field.

A well-known NIW firm declined my case, likely because I don’t have the traditional academic profile with peer-reviewed papers and citations. My background is more industry-based, with technical R&D experience, internal project contributions, posters/presentations, and possible recommendation letters from people familiar with my work.

I’m trying to understand how people have approached NIW when their work is mostly confidential industry work rather than public academic output.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone been approved for EB2-NIW without publications or citations?
2. What kind of evidence helped strengthen your petition?
3. How did you frame the proposed endeavor when most of your work could not be publicly disclosed?
4. How important were recommendation letters in a no-publication case?
5. Did you self-file, use an attorney, or consult multiple attorneys after an initial rejection?
6. What mistakes should someone avoid when building an industry-based NIW case?

I’d appreciate any general experiences, strategies, or lessons learned.

Thanks.

Context Info:

• EB2 NIW
• PD: Oct 2023
• I-485 Receipt Date: Oct 2, 2025
• USCIS Found/Linked the old A-Number: Oct 8, 2025 (per FOIA — just 6 days after filing)
• Biometrics: Nov 10, 2025
• Country: From one of the first 7 ban countries.
• Case: Transferred in June after the Court order to Non-Local office.

Hey everyone — sharing an update and looking for anyone who has been through a similar situation to see what you think will happen next.

Today I received my USCIS FOIA response for my I-485. The FOIA revealed an old A-Number I had completely forgotten I even had. It was issued in 2018 for an off-campus EAD I applied for during my PhD but never actually used because I was so busy with preliminary exams and research. Because I forgot it existed, I answered “No” on my I-485 to having other A-Numbers or EAD cards.

The FOIA shows that my interview has been waived. It also shows that USCIS found the old A-number internally just 6 days after I filed. I filled on Oct 2, 2025 and they found it on Oct 8, 2025.

My Question: Has anyone else been through this? If you forgot an A-number/EAD and answered "No" on the forms, but the FOIA showed they found it early on and still waived the interview—what do you think will happen?

Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences. Thanks!

Hi,

I am trying to contact my lawyer (Chen immigration) but the portal seems to be down. Is there a new website?

Thanks,

I’m currently in the U.S. on F-1 status, and my Form I-765 (Employment Authorization Document/EAD) was approved yesterday under my EB2-NIW adjustment of status application.
I’m still waiting for decisions on my Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) and Form I-131 (Advance Parole).
What should I do next? Are there any important steps I should take now? Do I need to update or change my Social Security card, or can I continue using my current SSN? Is there anything else I should be aware of while waiting for my green card and travel document?
I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions from people who have gone through the EB2-NIW adjustment process. Thank you!

Title: EB-2 NIW for a non-academic supply chain / operations profile — viable?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently exploring the EB-2 NIW pathway and trying to understand whether my profile realistically fits under Dhanasar.

Most NIW examples I’ve seen are research-heavy (AI, data science, publications, patents, etc.), but my background is much more operations/infrastructure focused.

I’ve spent more than 10 years working in large-scale FMCG and retail supply chain environments, mainly around:
• reusable logistics systems,
• reverse logistics,
• pallet circulation ecosystems,
• nationwide distribution operations,
• and cross-enterprise operational coordination.

My experience includes working across manufacturing, distribution centers, retail environments, distributors, and 3PL ecosystems.

A major part of my role has involved operational alignment between multiple independent stakeholders to maintain continuity across large-scale distribution ecosystems — not engineering or software development.

I don’t have:
• publications,
• patents,
• citations,
• or academic research credentials.

My current proposed endeavor direction is something along the lines of: “Sustainable Reusable Logistics Infrastructure & Cross-Enterprise Supply Chain Operational Resilience”

The idea is to focus on operational continuity, reusable logistics infrastructure, reverse logistics efficiency, and reducing operational friction across large-scale distribution ecosystems.

A few questions:

1. Does this type of operations-heavy profile sound realistically NIW-viable?
2. Is this endeavor framing too operational/internal?
3. Would USCIS likely view this as having broader national importance if framed around supply chain resilience and infrastructure continuity?
4. Any recommendations for attorneys who are genuinely strong with non-academic / operations-focused NIW cases?

Would really appreciate honest feedback from anyone who has seen similar cases.

Thanks!

I see a lot of success and approval posts here from clients of Chen, many of these posts look incredibly similar and enthusiastic...

I am genuinely curious: does Chen Immigration offer any kind of reward, discount, refund, or perk (like a free referral bonus) to clients who post these approval announcements? It’s hard to believe that 100% of these positive reviews are completely organic without some incentive.

Has anyone actually received an offer for a discount or whatever for sharing their results or am I tripping?

Hi everyone!
I’d like to share some exciting news — my I-140 was finally approved! Since I’ve received so much help from this community throughout the process, I hope sharing my experience can help others who are still waiting. Happy July 4th!

Timeline
Priority Date (PD): June 27, 2025
Premium Processing (PP): May 13, 2026
Approval: July 3, 2026 (35 business days)
Service Center: NSC
Country: ROW (not from one of the 75 or 39 banned countries)

Profile
Education: PhD at an R1 university (4th-year PhD student with a master’s degree at the time of filing)
Proposed endeavor: Using real-world evidence to improve diabetes care in the United States
Publications: 3 first-author papers and 3 co-author papers at the time of filing (more now)
Citations: 50+ at the time of filing (100+ now)
Current job: Working in the pharmaceutical industry
Supporting evidence: 2 dependent recommendation letters and 3 independent testimonial letters
Law firm: Chen

Overall, I had a very positive experience with Chen Immigration. I can’t comment on their RFE services since I was fortunate enough to receive a direct approval without one. I also think they’ve worked with many applicants who have backgrounds similar to mine, so the draft petition they prepared already fit my profile very well, and I only needed to make a few minor revisions. That said, I still recommend carefully reviewing everything they write before filing to make sure it accurately reflects your background and achievements.

The past two months were honestly very stressful. I have a friend who received an approval in just seven business days, and I kept hearing people say that the longer you wait, the more likely you are to receive an RFE. In my case, that clearly wasn’t true. With the high volume of filings USCIS is handling, processing times can vary a lot, even under premium processing.

If you’re still waiting, don’t lose hope. Try to be patient and trust the process. I know that’s easier said than done, but your timeline doesn’t necessarily predict your outcome.

Wishing everyone who’s still waiting a smooth approval soon!