Just getting started NIW or EB1. Advice solicited.

[a_b]

I am just getting started with this process. Blame it on my laziness or better my patriotism or lack of responsiveness. Any ways my story...


- 75+ citations on about 10+ publications. I am not the first author on most of those.
- MS (got PhD admission but did not attend)
- Work as a specialist in my field relating to a new branch in computer science at a national lab. "We" do perform work really of national importance (ok not just for keyword). I can get letters from international users and federal agencies who benefit from what our team does. I also hope to get some "power folks" to write letters.
- I am just a staff here.


Questions:

- DO i need to be first author to count the citations or papers?

- I came to know that for EB1 the home institution has to "support" the benificiary. My institution is not financing this (as i am just a staff with no PhD). I will have to pay from my pocket. I think i can ask them for a letter or some thing - is that considered as "support"?

- It sounds like i am basing my whole case on the work i have been doing (or continue to do) in my field for the last five years and the recommendation letters from people in federal agencies in US and abroad who were geniunely benefited from our work. I hope lack of PhD is not a problem. Any comments?

- Any tips or suggestions given the current scenario?


Thanks in advance.

 

[yeehaw!]

You could try both NIW and EB1-OR. Thats what I did. For OR you will need a cover letter from your organization on the letter head preferably from some one higher up. e.g. I got my letter from college dean. It does not matter if they pay or not.

There is no requirement for PhD to my knowledge, but most of the people applying in these categories have a PhD so you may need to provide lot of documentation to stress the importance of your research.

Good luck

 

[nikkasingh]

you could actually appy for NIW, OR and EA as well. However youy best chance may be NIW. NIW and EA are independent of position and as a result you neednt document support from employer.

you dont have to be a first author in all papers to count citations, but it would help to be first author on some of those.there exists a lot of infor on these fora and by diligently researching them you will certainly unearth stuff helpful to build your case.

75 cite and 10 papers is a good foundation to base your case on.

 

[a_b]

Thanks folks. Yes i am the first author on some of these. I have also been asked to review papers, present tutorials at international conferences regarding the field. I hope they also help in my case. I have a decided to use a lawyer to help in my case.

Seems this forum has lot of information about people who have walked this way before and how they did it - should be useful for me now.