EB-2 NIWFinance and economicsIndividualDecided October 2024Sustained
Outcome: Sustained
OCT162024_02B5203
Merit and national importanceMetWell positionedMetBalance favors a waiverMet
Our summary
An assistant professor and researcher in finance and economics with a PhD seeks EB-2 national interest waiver. Petitioner proposed developing machine learning techniques for finance applications. AAO found all three Dhanasar prongs satisfied: the endeavor has substantial merit and national importance, petitioner is well-positioned to advance it through his education and experience, and waiving the job offer requirement would benefit the United States.
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 · Decision states Petitioner established first prong; endeavor in research and finance has substantial merit and national importance
- Well positioned · Petitioner's PhD in economics, experience in finance and machine learning research, and university position demonstrate capability to advance proposed endeavor
- Balance favors a waiver · Petitioner's contributions would benefit United States; waiving job offer requirement justified despite availability of other qualified workers
What was missing
Every criterion in the table was found met.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Merit and national importance | Met | Decision states Petitioner established first prong; endeavor in research and finance has substantial merit and national importance |
 Well positioned | Met | Petitioner's PhD in economics, experience in finance and machine learning research, and university position demonstrate capability to advance proposed endeavor |
 Balance favors a waiver | Met | Petitioner's contributions would benefit United States; waiving job offer requirement justified despite availability of other qualified workers |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.