Niw Rfe

M

mougc

Registered Users (C)
hello everyone,

I had filed for EB2-NIW in Nov2006 at TSC. I have received an Rfe today. I would really appreciate your feedback on how to make my coverletter to answer to this Rfe. I beleive my lawyer did not do a good job of highlighting my accomplishments so i would like to make the draft for this response myself so I would really appreciate your opinions on how to strategically respond to this RFE. Anybody who has tackled a RFE successfully if they can share their coverletter, I would really appreciate that. Please kindly PM me.

My credentials:

1)Six first author publications (Impact factor 3.5 journals, 2005-2, 2006-2, 2007-2), 1 second author publication (2007) and 1 second author book chapter (2006).
Total citations - outside - 7
2)8 conference presentations
3)35 journal papers reviewed for seven different journals (Impact factor 3-4). Letters submitted from the editors.
4)Editor of a international pharmaceutical journal (Impact factor 4)
5)Submitted nine letters of recommendation from around the world from people who do not know me directly except my current and phd boss. (1- UK, 1-Germany, 1-Japan, 1-US national lab, 1- current boss, 1- Phd boss, 3-Professors from US).
6)Memeber - ASBMB, AACR, Protein society (paid memberships. FOr AACR you need two existing members to nominate you but no other criteria and you just pay. For ASBMB I got free membership as for fresh PhD's they give one
year free membership upon nomination by an existing ASBMB member. For protein society you need to become a member before you can present in their conference)
7)Awards - 1) Postdoctoral fellowship grant award from a wellknown cancer organisation. Iam the Co-PI along with my boss
2) NASA research enhancement grant award from Space grant consortium for one of my Phd projects. I was the PI for this grant.
3)Two poster awards in conferences
4)Two Graduate fellowship awards during phd
5)TA, RA throughout grad school


My Rfe details:

CIS notes that the petitioner provided evidence which describe his cancer research, both present and future as well as accomplishments in his field of endeavor. However, the petitioner has not clearly demonstrated the influence which his work has had upon his field of expertise. Please submit documentary evidence of the specific influence the petitioner’s work has had on his speciality or on the field in general. If the petitioner’s research results have been cited by others in this field, submit copies of all published works of others who cite the petitioner’s work, or other evidences such as copies of citation indices.

(At the time of submission I just had 2 citations so I did not submit my citation details. Since then I now have 7 outside citations. Also the citations are just passing references and do not dwell more than a few lines on my work. Kindly suggest how to respond to this as I feel this is the weakest. I have requested couple of people who have cited my work to give me reference letters informing that my work and protocols helped in laying the foundation for their research etc...)

Please describe specifically all of the petitioner’s exact prior achievements and how these have influenced the field?

(I can answer this one)

How does the petitioner’s work compare to others in this field?
(How do I do this? Any suggestions please. I can get more letters from people who can praise my work. )

Have experts in this field recognized the petitioner’s work?
(Any suggestions?)

How do the petitioner’s publications separate her from others in the field?

(Any suggestions?)

Any submitted evidence will be considered in conjunction with the current record to determine the petitioner’s eligibility for this classification.
 
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Well, I don't agree that the case would be easy for EB1-EA.
- None of the awards would work
- Not many papers for somebody supposed to be in the few percentage at the the top of his field. Citation number is very low.
- None of the memberships would work.
My two cents...
Chris
 
ChrisV said:
Well, I don't agree that the case would be easy for EB1-EA.
- None of the awards would work
- Not many papers for somebody supposed to be in the few percentage at the the top of his field. Citation number is very low.
- None of the memberships would work.
My two cents...
Chris
Click to expand...

Your credentials are not good for EB1A.
When you are claiming that your work has national interest, they expect citations for your publications. Citations are very low. I advice you to get letters from experts saying that these pepers have ben published recently and expected to get good citations in the near future.....
 
Try EB1EA also (submit I140). You credential looks stronger for EB2. Looks like Lawyer didn't work well in your case. You have to sell your work atleast in words. Try to make very good and strong covering letter. I also had RFE for EB2 NIW but not like yours. I did it myself. You can do it yourself if you have enough time.
All the best.
 
friends,

any strategies for tackling this NIW Rfe would be helpful. Not even thinking of EB1 at the moment.

Thanks for your time. If somebody can share their Rfe rebuttal letter would be really helpful to me.
 
I think you have to make your case strong by adding more on the project its national importance and the achievements how it could influence or benefit US as well as the world. The reference letters should have strong words that you are one among the top in your field and also they emphasize the area of research and its national importance, as whether grants were given by any federal agencies, national preference, anything you can quote from big shots.
Donot worry about membership, as far as I know, I haven't come across anyone with a national science academy membership applying for GC. so all we could get is the paid memberships except few societies give honarary membership.
Let the editors write that you are one of the top in the field, and since your publications are recent, is getting citations slowly and will take time.
good luck buddy!
 
mougc, Many people with much less credentials had their NIW petition approved. I believe that your case is very strong for EB2-NIW and I am not sure about why you received this RFE. It maybe that the case was not properly argued, like how labor certification will not be reasonable for your case or will hurt national interest, and so on... Did you write the cover letter on your own, or you had an attorney do it for you?

I am sorry I cannot offer any serious help cause I am still waiting for any decision regarding my case. Maybe someone who have experience with RFEs for EB2-NIW could help here.
 
niw-rfe

i think you should be fine....some of my friends who got rfe for niw (a couple of years back) just sent additional reference letters, any new papers, and citations. the key should be the cover letter, which you or the lawyer should do a good job.

btw, did you make your petition focused on one specialized area of research or a more broader research scope?
 
Thanks a lot for all the replies.

I shall definitely try to get a letter or two saying papers recently published and should get good citations over time.

Does anybody know of any statistics as to how many average citations usually papers get???
Average publications by a phd student???
I know it is very difficult but was wondering if anybody came across anything that I can use to defend my case.

My post doc research area is cancer and graduate research was in diabetes. But from the cover letter the Immigration officer just picked up cancer and did not mention diabetes in which all my publications are so I think lawyer did not highlight my contributions in diabetes well.


goody, jerist , shankyy, chrisv, gelaya, eb1orniw.. thank you for your comments.

Please let me know if you have anything else to add.
 
shankyyy said:
i think you should be fine....some of my friends who got rfe for niw (a couple of years back) just sent additional reference letters, any new papers, and citations. the key should be the cover letter, which you or the lawyer should do a good job.

btw, did you make your petition focused on one specialized area of research or a more broader research scope?
Click to expand...
Which one is better ? Focusing on broader area of research or specialized area ?. I am preparing my NIW petition. This info. would be really helpful.

Thanks,
--HH
 
Finally NIW approved

hello friends,
just happy to let you all know that finally my NIW got approved today (25Feb2008) after sending Rfe response on 7Nov2007.
Thank you HH, shanky, jerist, gelaya, good-y, goviks, EB1ORNIW, chrisV and lip1 for all your helpful suggestions.
 
shankyy,

I attached the following

1) 6 additional letters ( three from people who have cited my work)
2)three additional papers (published after my preliminary filing)
3)proof of additional 20 papers review (showed in table format)
4) Two letters from two different journal editors
5) proof serving as an oncology section editor for a pharmaceutical journal
(impact factor - 4.5)
6)proof of reviewer in a grants award committee for a non profit organisation
7) 4 conference abstracts (after preliminary filing)
8)Citation list

This time I myself drafted the letter and just asked my lawyer to file it. I just replied to each point that they raised in the same format how you write a rebuttal letter for your journal publication.

I did not add any of the old stuff that I submitted during preliminary filing.
 
Eb1-ea Rfe

Mougc

Would you mind emailing me your cover letter replying to the RFE. i got one for my EB1-EA application.
 
I am also in the same boat. Would you mind emailing me your cover letter replying to the RFE. I got one and I am now working on it. Please send me an email or a private message. Thanks a lot in advance.


mougc said:
shankyy,

I attached the following

1) 6 additional letters ( three from people who have cited my work)
2)three additional papers (published after my preliminary filing)
3)proof of additional 20 papers review (showed in table format)
4) Two letters from two different journal editors
5) proof serving as an oncology section editor for a pharmaceutical journal
(impact factor - 4.5)
6)proof of reviewer in a grants award committee for a non profit organisation
7) 4 conference abstracts (after preliminary filing)
8)Citation list

This time I myself drafted the letter and just asked my lawyer to file it. I just replied to each point that they raised in the same format how you write a rebuttal letter for your journal publication.

I did not add any of the old stuff that I submitted during preliminary filing.
Click to expand...
 
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