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Petition length
- Thread starter leto
- Start date
leroythelion
Registered Users (C)
leto said:Dear friends,
Many of you suggest that the petition be about 15-20 pages. I have two questions:
- 15-20 pages: double-spaced or single-spaced?
- Is it crucially important to make it that long?
Petition for what?
chilicheesedog
New Member
leto said:Dear friends,
Many of you suggest that the petition be about 15-20 pages. I have two questions:
- 15-20 pages: double-spaced or single-spaced?
- Is it crucially important to make it that long?
My cover letter for self-petitioned NIW (approved, no RFE) was 7-page length, sngle-spaced (evidences including reprints were ~300 pages). I used only one page to explain why my research is in the national interest, and in the rest of pages I simply, clearly and faithfully described the evidences (degrees, work experience, publications, references, etc). I think that a cover letter is not always good just because it is long. No one wants to read a poorly written 100-page cover letter.
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This is a non-professional opinion. Please take it at your own risk.
Last edited by a moderator:
a lawyer trick?
Brian, I am talking about NIW application.
Chilicheesedog, I tend to agree with you.
I read, you know, on law firms' websites about "a carefully drafted formal NIW petitition (implying, of course, that such an astute thing can only be drafted by a laywer) can either make or break the case". I am, in fact, a little sceptical of this statement. It seems to me, too, that a thing 20 pages long might bore the INS official.
One guy on this forum mentionned that he wrote two things:
- a rather long "formal petition", and
- a short cover letter.
Is that common practice ?
Brian, I am talking about NIW application.
Chilicheesedog, I tend to agree with you.
I read, you know, on law firms' websites about "a carefully drafted formal NIW petitition (implying, of course, that such an astute thing can only be drafted by a laywer) can either make or break the case". I am, in fact, a little sceptical of this statement. It seems to me, too, that a thing 20 pages long might bore the INS official.
One guy on this forum mentionned that he wrote two things:
- a rather long "formal petition", and
- a short cover letter.
Is that common practice ?
Last edited by a moderator:
leto said:Brian, I am talking about NIW application.
Chilicheesedog, I tend to agree with you.
I read, you know, on law firms' websites about "a carefully drafted formal NIW petitition (implying, of course, that such an astute thing can only be drafted by a laywer) can either make or break the case". I am, in fact, a little sceptical of this statement. It seems to me, too, that a thing 20 pages long might bore the INS official.
One guy on this forum mentionned that he wrote two things:
- a rather long "formal petition", and
- a short cover letter.
Is that common practice ?
I would like to write a short cover letter that briefly lists what you have in the package. Use some impressive/strong words to encourage people to go to the next. Then followed by a formal, well-prepared petition letter along with other supportting evidences ready in the package to back it up.
Put everything in a cover letter is not a good idea in any application process.
If you have to find some thing to say and the purpose is just to fill-out a 20 pages length. That length is too long.
Just like what I suggested in another thread in this forum (http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=130430), the quickest way to get to know the whole process and what you need to prepare is to get a DIY kit (usually less than $100, you need only one day to familar with the process). That is even useful if you would like to hire a "good" laywer later on. From my friends' experiences, some laywers just waste your money and time, if you are totally new of the whole application process.
Last edited by a moderator:
leroythelion
Registered Users (C)
leto said:I read, you know, on law firms' websites about "a carefully drafted formal NIW petitition (implying, of course, that such an astute thing can only be drafted by a laywer) can either make or break the case". I am, in fact, a little sceptical of this statement. It seems to me, too, that a thing 20 pages long might bore the INS official.
I read somewhere (probably another attorney's website) that a certain amount of time is allotted to reviewing a petition and if it is way too long, a decision will be made based on the material reviewed during that time. Of course, this is extremely dangerous for the petioner as not all the evidence will be reviewed. I think a good answer would be that the cover letter should be concise and complete. The defenition of "concise and complete" will vary from person to person. Extra verbiage or trying to stretch a point is probably a bad idea.
You shouldn't be skeptical about lawyers' claims any more or less than you are about similar claims made by auto mechanics, accountants, building contractors, etc. The idea is to make you doubt your ability to do some things yourself thus having to hire them to do it for you. For some people, though, a lawyer can make or break a case. People are often their own worst enemy.
Brian
Short-letter: A one-page or two-page cover letter stating what you are applying for, making reference to the statute, and listing the evidences you have in your package. In my case, this two-page letter was prepared by my attorney.
Long-letter: A detailed long petition letter describing how you meet the various criteria and how your evidences support each of the criteria. In my case, I prepared about 30-page letter and submitted evidences covering more than 500 pages--articles, judge, scholarship, media, awards, membership, leadership, etc.
Long-letter: A detailed long petition letter describing how you meet the various criteria and how your evidences support each of the criteria. In my case, I prepared about 30-page letter and submitted evidences covering more than 500 pages--articles, judge, scholarship, media, awards, membership, leadership, etc.
hejiang216
Registered Users (C)
I don't think long letter helpful. I got approval by one page cover letter and four pages well written petition letter plus 300 pages supporting evidence in my response to RFE. From the RFE I recieved, I found that they didn't even finish my initial petition letter which was 20 pages and asked for evidence I already submitted and mentioned in the middle of my petition letter. Then, in my impression, a short concise and visible petition letter is evry important.
This should be viewed on a case by case. My attorney prepared two page short letter and I prepared 30 page long petition letter. The way the letter is organised may also be important. In my case, I had sub-headings for each criteria that I was trying to claim in the long letter. I had no letter of recommendations. I received approval without RFE.
GoFast said:I would like to write a short cover letter that briefly lists what you have in the package. Use some impressive/strong words to encourage people to go to the next. Then followed by a formal, well-prepared petition letter along with other supportting evidences ready in the package to back it up.
Put everything in a cover letter is not a good idea in any application process.
If you have to find some thing to say and the purpose is just to fill-out a 20 pages length. That length is too long.
Just like what I suggested in another thread in this forum (http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=130430), the quickest way to get to know the whole process and what you need to prepare is to get a DIY kit (usually less than $100, you need only one day to familar with the process). That is even useful if you would like to hire a "good" laywer later on. From my friends' experiences, some laywers just waste your money and time, if you are totally new of the whole application process.
GoFast, Thanks for very valuable information. How many recommendation letters should one put? should we put quote important points of these letters in the covering page?
zhul said:GoFast, Thanks for very valuable information. How many recommendation letters should one put? should we put quote important points of these letters in the covering page?
It depends. I heard someone got I-140 approved without recommendation letters, also heard my friend got RFE even he had 12 recommendation letters. I guess usually if you want to make a point, you probaly need 6-9 recommendtion letters to make it objective. It may be category sensitive:for EB1-1 or 2 you may want to get letters from experts/professors from other countries; for EB2-NIW, you may want to find someone in goverment department, organizations or national lab to backup your point that you are working in national interest.
I would only list the name, title... of recommendation letter writers in the cover letter and quote their points in the petition letter.
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I found this article really useful selfpetitionusa.com/blog/finding-the-perfect-length-for-eb-2-niw-petition, but the length isn’t as important as making a clear and strong case. A well-structured petition can be shorter if it covers everything properly.NIW Petition length
Dear friends,
Many of you suggest that the petition for NIW be about 15-20 pages. I have two questions:
- 15-20 pages: double-spaced or single-spaced?
- Is it crucially important to make it that long?