Folks,
I just now saw an LUD change on my I-140. Nervously, I clicked on it and I could not believe my eyes when I saw that the case was approved.
Here are some commonly asked parameters:
Concurrent Filing of I-140 and I-485 (& AP and EAD) at Vermont.
Self petition.
ND: Sep 30, 2003
FP: Jan 2005
I-140 AD: Mar 17, 2005 (~18 months)
Now we wait for I-485 approval.
My area is cancer research and AIDS research. I have about 5-6 publications in so-so journals, 3 first authorship. One grant from Leukemia Society. 9 letters from colleagues from past and present. I am a postdoc. Nothing else, really. I saw my work being cited at 3 places. Quite embarassing, but I put that in the petition anyway.
My accomplishments are quite pedestrian. I am not a great scientist by any strech of imagination. I approached a couple of lawyers to do the NIW and both rejected my request after looking at my resume. Running out of H1-B time (6-year limit) and no LC application to support a H1 7th year extension, I decided to put something together just to get an EAD and continue work. I used one of those $85 DIY kits and spent a lot of time on the 3rd prong of National Interest. The first 2 prongs, as you know, are relatively easy to address.
Some people have said here that the credentials speak for themselves and that a cover letter is not important. Some people have even said that recommendation letters are not important. In my case, it looks like the cover letter played a crucial role. I boasted the hell out of myself. The recomendation letters also must have played a key role. That's because I wrote the letters myself and had various people sign it. This way, I was able to insert key phrases in the letters.
My simple advice would be to give equal importance to all three: cover letter, recommendation letters and evidences. And work on the third prong (National Interest).
If I can do it, anyone can! So, good luck to all you folks out there.
Mapilla
I just now saw an LUD change on my I-140. Nervously, I clicked on it and I could not believe my eyes when I saw that the case was approved.
Here are some commonly asked parameters:
Concurrent Filing of I-140 and I-485 (& AP and EAD) at Vermont.
Self petition.
ND: Sep 30, 2003
FP: Jan 2005
I-140 AD: Mar 17, 2005 (~18 months)
Now we wait for I-485 approval.
My area is cancer research and AIDS research. I have about 5-6 publications in so-so journals, 3 first authorship. One grant from Leukemia Society. 9 letters from colleagues from past and present. I am a postdoc. Nothing else, really. I saw my work being cited at 3 places. Quite embarassing, but I put that in the petition anyway.
My accomplishments are quite pedestrian. I am not a great scientist by any strech of imagination. I approached a couple of lawyers to do the NIW and both rejected my request after looking at my resume. Running out of H1-B time (6-year limit) and no LC application to support a H1 7th year extension, I decided to put something together just to get an EAD and continue work. I used one of those $85 DIY kits and spent a lot of time on the 3rd prong of National Interest. The first 2 prongs, as you know, are relatively easy to address.
Some people have said here that the credentials speak for themselves and that a cover letter is not important. Some people have even said that recommendation letters are not important. In my case, it looks like the cover letter played a crucial role. I boasted the hell out of myself. The recomendation letters also must have played a key role. That's because I wrote the letters myself and had various people sign it. This way, I was able to insert key phrases in the letters.
My simple advice would be to give equal importance to all three: cover letter, recommendation letters and evidences. And work on the third prong (National Interest).
If I can do it, anyone can! So, good luck to all you folks out there.
Mapilla