EB2/Advanced Degree/NIW- Does this recommendation letter do any good ?

H

HelpingHand

Registered Users (C)
Guys

I worked for a person almost 5 years as a postdoc. I got this recommendation letter-

Letter in the box below:
I am writing this letter in support of Dr. Helping Hand’s application for permanent residency in the United States.

As for my own background, I am currently a tenured Professor of Chemistry at University of ..... I received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from ……. University, and carried out postdoctoral work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a Director’s Fellow. My research expertise includes the ……. I have authored more than 80 research publications, and my work has been presented in 52 invited talks at research institutions and conferences, as well as in 79 contributed presentations at national and international conferences. I have been selected to serve on the program committees for prestigious international conferences in my field, including the International Conference on ….. Conference. I have been elected to membership in the scientific honor society Sigma Xi and was awarded the Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation. I am currently a member of the Materials Research Society, and the American Chemical Society, and I have served as a reviewer for major journals in my field, including Journal of American Chemical Society, Journal of Chemical Physics, Chemical Physics Letters, and the Materials Research Society Proceedings. [Snipped- he wrote almost a page about him, while mine is all what is below]

I worked personally with Dr.Helping Hand from the January 1998 to November 2003, during which time he was a postdoctoral research associate in my laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at University of ..... His work at ..University involved, XYZ, a recently established, highly sophisticated technique that has seen important applications in a number of areas of national interest. His work included the construction of a state-of-the-art apparatus for XYZ measurements and the development of computer programs for XYZ data analysis, followed by the application of these tools to carry out XYZ studies of reaction dynamics in ……. These studies focused primarily on …… processes in chemicals A and B, which are highly promising chemicals currently under development for use in … and ….,. His work on both of these projects yielded important results: the XYZ measurements on A provided new information on reaction dynamics of …., which is critical for understanding the side-effects that had not been accessible in previous experiments, and the XYZ measurements on B have provided evidence for formation of …., an intermediate product, giving new insight into fundamental chemical dynamics in these compounds. This work was presented at national and international research conferences, where it was well received.

Following his work at University of ...., Dr.Helping Hand is continuing his research in the Department of Chemistry at the University of …., where he is contributing to the development of [another instrument], and currently holds the position of Research Scientist at the University of ….

In summary, Dr.Helping Hand has strong expertise in areas of scientific and technological importance, and his work is highly significant to our national interest. I am pleased to support his application for permanent residency in the USA.
Click to expand...

I worked in his lab for almost 5 full years. The XYZ measuring instrument I developed has been tried in that lab for couple of times by previous postdocs- they couldn't do it- hence I was hired and I could develop it in few months. In our research area, it is fairly accepted it is very tough to develop this instrument, or even working on that instrument.

After I requested the letter, this person asked me whether this is for some employment (he is probably suspecting this will be used for some employment ?)- I had clearly told it is for USCIS purpose only (any way, letter is addressed to USCIS).

Now my question. Does this letter do any good ?, or worse, will it do any harm ?- given that USCIS will note that I worked there for 5 years and this is what he comments on my work/capability.

I have another 6 or so good letters. But this is the only one from that employer/university. I am getting skeptical of this. Do you think I can avoid a letter from an employer with whom I worked for 5 years ?.

Your inputs greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
--HH
 
Dear Helpinghand
I am not sure about your recommendation letter, although he talks about your accomplishments but I don't see in the letter the importance of your work in the national interest.
I think he needs to state that somwhere in the letter.
I focused all my letters on 2 clear points, how is this work in the interest of the nation and how I am in the top echelon of the researchers in this area. I even had one letter clearly stating that.
Additionally, as you mentioned this is a letter from an employer for 5 years so it sure needs to be stronger.
My suggestion is to ask him to make some additions to the letter. i.e. he needs to point out the national interest of the US in your work and how it has benefited and will benefit the nation. He can also talk about citations of your work, i.e. His publication in..... has been cited by.....researchers .... he can talk about your leadership, Also did you help students in his lab during your postdoc, he can also mention that....
You can tell him that your lawyer suggested these changes (even though you don't one).
hnks
 
Helping Hand:

I have 6 letters. Some are like the one you had: the guy knows me for long time but has not directly worked with me. In your case, I think the letter is a bit tepid.

You should ask him to extend or elaborate. Mention publications coming out of your work. If you find him reluctant, add a paragrpah or two yourself and seek his confirmation.

I think it is important to have a good letter from an employer of 5 years. The guy must have likely forgotten you since 2003. So, it is your job to somehow help him in writing the letter. Don't forget the letters should be less expansive and more specific.

Good luck.

Regards,

KiwiGC
 
hnks:

Could you please let us know how you addressed the two points in one of your letters? Can you post part of a letter that addresses NIW criteria?

Thanks.

kiwigc
 
I have one that conluded with:
During the last decade, it has become clear that ...represents an enormous potential for new drugs for the treatment of several diseases including cancer, tb and,,,,. The importance of this research to the national interest means that it has to be continued by an exemplary researcher such as Dr......

Another one discussed in detail the important contributions of my research to the field and how other scientist benefited from it and concluded:
I would stress that I do not know Dr. XX personally. In my opinion her CV indicates that she has ample potential to be a valuable contributor to the scientific output of the United States ........... There is an immediate need for able scientists to document and classify our ......resources, to recognize and realize their potential, and to make sure that what is valuable is not lost through our ignorance. Based on her accomplishments to date, I believe that Dr. XX has the potential to contribute strongly to this cause and I support his application for residency in the United States wholeheartedly.


One letter started with:
Despite great improvement in reseach........die of cancer and of infectious diseases, one of the important reason for that is there is a current productivity crisis facing the scientific community engaged in drug discovery, A multidisciplinary approach involving......... provides the best solution to this current problem...Our nation is in need of experienced and skillful researchers to continue this challenging situation.
Let me know if this helps
 
Thanks for all the inputs. I will try to get a revised letter- I am not sure how much this is feasible. When he sent the letter to me, he also wrote- this is along the lines I gave recommendation to xxxx's green card application (and he got through !)- so I expect this should be good for your application as well.
 
I have one thing to ask concerning recommendation letters
In one letter, I had one person quoting:
".....There are few young researchers in this field in the World and Dr. XXX publications and experience place her in the top echelon of this group. In the USA, there is a dearth of US-born scientists at her level of skill and experience."

I wonder about that last statment since I should not mention labor shortage. or may I do not understand it proprely. Should I remove it or keep it?
I can make the necessary changes to this letter.
Let know
THanks
hnks
 
hnks said:
I have one thing to ask concerning recommendation letters
In one letter, I had one person quoting:
".....There are few young researchers in this field in the World and Dr. XXX publications and experience place her in the top echelon of this group. In the USA, there is a dearth of US-born scientists at her level of skill and experience."

I wonder about that last statment since I should not mention labor shortage. or may I do not understand it proprely. Should I remove it or keep it?
I can make the necessary changes to this letter.
Let know
THanks
hnks
Click to expand...
I suggest you remove it.
 
one thought

I read on tmwlaw (as i'm sure many of you have) that NIW should focus on past accomplishments and how it is the national interest rather than the 'potential for future' contributions. am i not right?

As for my niw, still deciding on whether to make the petition broadly materials research for NI (so that any job i take wud meet the petition) or just focus on a specific subject of my research (say nuclear), which might create issue if i take a different job later. any thoughts wud help?
--
shankyyy
 
shankyyy said:
I read on tmwlaw (as i'm sure many of you have) that NIW should focus on past accomplishments and how it is the national interest rather than the 'potential for future' contributions. am i not right?

As for my niw, still deciding on whether to make the petition broadly materials research for NI (so that any job i take wud meet the petition) or just focus on a specific subject of my research (say nuclear), which might create issue if i take a different job later. any thoughts wud help?
--
shankyyy
Click to expand...
Yes, it is not potential future contributions, it is projections for future national contributions based on past achievements. This is what I read:
``You must establish the alien has a past record of specific prior achievement which justifies projections of future benefit to the national interest. You must establish, in some capacity, his/her ability to serve the national interest to a substantially greater extent than the majority of his/her colleagues''

I don't think once you specify nuclear and if you switch to somewhat related area, it is a problem. It would be a problem, eg. you switch to something totally different- like a software job or something like that. This is just my opinion, I am not an expert.

--HH
 
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