EB-2 NIWElectrical and electronic engineeringIndividualDecided 2018Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
AUG232018_01B5203
Merit and national importanceMetWell positionedNot metBalance favors a waiverNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
Ph.D. researcher in electrical engineering sought national interest waiver for EB-2 classification with proposed soft electronics research. AAO found research had substantial merit and national importance but petitioner not well positioned to advance it; support letters and publications lacked demonstrated widespread influence or comparative success metrics. Appeal dismissed.
Official PDF
Official PDF ↗Published by USCIS. The summary is ours, in our own words; the decision text is on uscis.gov.
What the AAO accepted
- Merit and national importance · Petitioner's research on soft wearable sensing technology for healthcare applications demonstrated substantial merit and national importance.
What was missing
- Well positioned · Invitations to editorial board and book contribution were unrelated to proposed endeavor; letters of support and citation record insufficient without comparative field statistics.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Merit and national importance | Met | Petitioner's research on soft wearable sensing technology for healthcare applications demonstrated substantial merit and national importance. |
 Well positioned | Not met | Invitations to editorial board and book contribution were unrelated to proposed endeavor; letters of support and citation record insufficient without comparative field statistics. |
 Balance favors a waiver | Not reached / not discussed | Because petitioner failed second prong, third prong analysis was not undertaken as further discussion would serve no meaningful purpose. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.