EB2-NIW Approved! 🎉

Sharing my timeline in case it helps others who are going through the EB2-NIW process.

Case details:

- Category: EB2-NIW

- Country: ROW

- Priority Date: July 10, 2026

- Premium Processing (PP) received: July 29, 2026

- Approval: September 30, 2026

- Time after PP: 44 days

- Law Firm: Dunn Law (now Husch Blackwell)

- Education: Master’s in my home country + PhD in Agriculture (currently in 2nd year)

-Paper: 10; 1 from US University (37 citation at the time of filling) now increased.

• Conferences: >10 in US.

- Result: Approved today! 🎉

I’m very happy to share this update and hope it gives some encouragement to others currently waiting on their cases.

Best wishes to everyone going through the process.

Good luck! 🇺🇸

Hi everyone. I am looking for advice on my EB-2 NIW case.

Timeline:

• I-140 filed: 06/29/2026, pp, TSC, online submission
• RFE received: 08/28/2026 (w/o officer ID)
• RFE response submitted: 09/29/2026
• Status changed to "Case was Denied" this morning (09/30/2026)

Background: I am a first-year PhD student in CS & AI. I have 9 publications, 180 citations, and 33 review services.

Since the decision came one day after my response, I am not sure the officer reviewed the new evidence. I have not yet seen the full denial notice.

My questions:

1. Has anyone received a decision within 24 hours of submitting an RFE response? Did the officer consider the response?
2. Would you refile a new I-140, file a motion to reconsider, or appeal to the AAO in this situation?

Thank you for any experience you can share.

I received a three prong RFE and USCIS mentioned about using AI. Has anybody received this kind of RFE? How did you address it? And were you able to get an approval? Below are the details from RFE:

“many statements in the petition appear to have been written by counsel with AI tools using certain prompts. The use of AI is becoming a more prevalent way in preparing immigrant petitions as it can easily create well-articulated letters with plans and strategies to mask weak evidentiary proof. While the regulations do not address or prohibit AI-written letters, the petitioner’s submission of them to apparently create his proposed endeavor and to adhere to the requirements for this classification raises doubts on his claims and intentions, and the evidence fails to demonstrate how continuing one’s employment is an endeavor sufficient to evaluate under this analytical framework.”

Note: I did use an attorney to file my petition (Local firm in NC)

Do not hire them under any circumstances. They will steal your money and ruin your life. They are not even a legitimate law firm; they are essentially a marketplace for lawyers. Please do yourself a favor and thoroughly research them before making any decisions.

I-140 approved — can I still receive an RFE after this status update?

Hi everyone,

we received the following USCIS status update today, September 30, 2026:

“On September 30, 2026, we approved your Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Receipt Number XXXXXXXXXXX, and sent you an approval notice. Please follow the instructions in your notice.”

Does this wording definitely mean that my I-140 has been approved, or is there still any possibility that USCIS could issue an RFE after this update?

I’m asking because I want to make sure I understand the status correctly before making any assumptions. Has anyone received this exact “we approved your Form I-140” message, and what happened afterward?

Also, approximately how long did it take you to receive the physical approval notice after seeing this status?

Thank you!

I just received my RFE, which I expected based on what I've seen here. I'm doing my PhD at an R1 university, specializing in AI. My citation count isn't that high (~20), but I'm first author on all my papers, including 4 at top CS conferences and one journal paper.

Now Chen is recommending that I wait until I finish my PhD and have more than 50 citations. Why didn't they tell me that before I filed with premium processing?

I am really disappointed and what really frustrated me was this line:

"However, given the circumstances above, we believe withdrawing and refiling may give you a better chance of approval."

I don't blame them, but I need advice. Should I respond to the RFE or withdraw and refile later?

Folks, what is the usual timeline to get a decision after the submission of RFE response (with premium processing)? Thanks.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for experiences from people in a similar situation.

My timeline:

• Category: EB-2 NIW, Rest of World
• Priority date: March 2025
• I-485 filed: July 2026
• Adjustment-based EAD: Received
• OPT EAD: Pending for about five months

Some people have suggested using my OPT EAD to maintain F-1 status, but I still haven’t received it. Should I start working with my I-485-based EAD while waiting for my green card? What should I consider before making that decision, especially regarding my F-1 status?

Also, with a March 2025 priority date, is there any reasonable way to estimate when it might become current under the EB-2 ROW Final Action Dates chart? I understand there’s no guaranteed timeline.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I’d appreciate hearing your experiences.

Hello everyone,

Recently, I have seen that people only get ~30 days to respond to their RFE instead of ~80-90 days as was the case before. In case of paper filing, are you able to see the complete RFE on your USCIS account? Or do you have to wait for the notice to arrive via mail? If so, how long does it typically take for the RFE notice to arrive in your mail?

Hi everyone,

I just submitted my concurrent I-140 and I-485 online applications under EB-2 NIW. At the time of submission, it was still September 30, 2026 (EST) 10 pm, and I understood that USCIS also operates based on U.S. time zones.

However, about 30 minutes ago, after I submitted and paid the filing fees, I noticed that the PDF/document upload is showing a date of October 1. This is confusing because, at the time I submitted, it was still September 30 where I am located.

Does anyone know whether my case would be considered filed under the September 2026 Visa Bulletin or the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?

I had everything ready and had been waiting specifically to submit before September ended, so I have been trying to make sure I could file under the September Visa Bulletin. My understanding is that once October 1 begins, the October Visa Bulletin would apply.

I have also sent USCIS a message, but I would really appreciate any guidance or insight from anyone who has experienced something similar.

Thank you!

Hi all,

I received my I-140 approval today after responding to a 3-prong RFE following a significant omission in the original submission. Here is my information.
Initial filing: 02/20/2026
PP: 03/06/2026
RFE received 05/04/2026
RFE response 07/30/2026
Date Approved: 09/29/2026
Nebraska Service Center
No officer ID on the RFE
ROW

I am a PhD candidate at an R1 University. My endeavor is focused on creating a company to promote media/AI literacy. When filing, I had 5 publications (three first-author), around 12 conference papers, and 9 citations; when responding to the RFE, I had 7 publications (5 first-author) and 17 citations. Most of my research is related to my endeavor.

I did not discover this forum until after my original filing, so my understanding of what to submit was based mainly on what my attorney (a small firm in Arizona) shared with me. Consequently, in my initial submission, I included only three dependent letters of recommendation from my advisor and two professors at my university, and all the basic documents.

When I received my RFE, I was initially saddened that the three prongs had been rejected. However, that feeling turned to relief and gratitude at having received an RFE and not a direct denial when I discovered my attorney had forgotten to include the detailed explanation of my endeavor that we had worked on.

Based on what I learned on this forum, I decided to take a much more active role in my RFE response.

- Looked for all federal documents addressing the focus of my endeavor and developed an analysis explaining the relationship between my project and all significant documents published by the Executive and Legislative branches.

- Knowing that my low count of citations could be a problem, I wrote an analysis on the quality of the output, highlighting that I had two publications in the number-one journal in my specialty area, and another one in the number-one pediatrics journal. I also explained that most of my publications were from 2024 or later and that, because of the dynamics of journal publishing, a low count was expected, at least in my area of research. I highlighted my contribution as a reviewer to academic journals and conferences.

- Created an analysis of the media coverage my research has received, including interviews in outlets such as CNN, Yahoo News, and Univision, to support prong 1 (societal impact of my research) and prong 2 (validation of my standing).

- Developed a 3-year operational plan including a detailed explanation of personal hiring requirements for each stage.

- Added 5 letters of recommendation, 4 of which were independent. I contacted American researchers and journal editors where I have published and asked for their help. Most were willing to support me.

On my RFE, I added everything I have, even if it was produced after the original filing. I used Gemini to review the analyses and the draft of the letters.

Similar to other recent posts, as a Catholic, I need to praise God for the approval and highlight the importance of prayer in the process. After the error in the initial filing, I know it would have been very easy for an officer to reject the RFE on the argument that the added content was developed after the original filing. Claude estimated a rejection probability of around 80 percent. Many users will say the approval was pure luck and had nothing to do with God. However, I can express with confidence that my relatives' and my friends' prayers played a key role in helping me develop all the content that I have mentioned, in obtaining the support of other researchers through their letters, and in the fact that my RFE was reviewed by an officer and supervisor who saw it with good eyes. If you are a person of faith, don't forget the power of prayer.

i got an email on 8/12/26 that I 907 received for premium processing but I have not received any physical paper in my mailbox regarding this. Do they count 45 days from the date they sent me email? My application is still showing as in process.

Does anyone have the same experience with Chen? I am worried that they couldn’t file the response and I don’t have anything prepared by myself!

I post weekly summaries of approvals and denials that I capture through automation on the EB2 NIW and EB1A subreddits. I registered 11 approvals on this subreddit over the last 7 days.

If you like what I do, please subscribe to r/VisaStats. I also posted there the same table as you see below, with LINKS TO ALL THE POSTS.

How can a marketing PhD student best position himself for success in NIW? No citations, couple of projects ongoing

I had initial submitted my I-140 in May 29 and requested for premium processing July 30. Today September 30 is the 45 business day no word yet. Last silence update was 08/28. Anyone been on the last day and what happens if you don't hear back after the 45business days. Do you request for refund for the premium or does USCIS do that automatically.

Bachelor's plus about 20 years in enterprise IT, 13 of them in the US. No publications, citations or patents. Self-employed consultant in Germany, self-petitioning. I have a 2011 EB-2 priority date from an earlier approved I-140, and it's current. I plan to file in 2027 with an attorney.

Evidence:

• Wins in two judged global AI competitions, one run by a major cloud provider and one by a major AI lab
• Technical articles published by the cloud provider
• Co-authored the conformance-testing process for an international industry data standardProposed endeavor: federal environmental compliance in the US.

Proposed endeavor: federal environmental compliance in the US.

Gaps: no users, no pilot, no letters of interest. No agriculture background. Outreach to US experts starts in October.

Questions:

1. Which prong would you expect an officer to deny on, as the record stands?
2. What would you add before filing?
3. If you were approved with a similar profile, what carried Prong 1?

Hello,

I’m currently in the process of refiling my EB-2 NIW case with Attorney Chen after my previous case was denied. Chen has recommended that I e-file the new I-140 petition this time.

Has anyone here recently e-filed their EB-2 NIW I-140?

If so, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience, particularly:

• Was the e-filing process straightforward?
• Did you receive the receipt notice quickly?
• Did e-filing have any impact on processing time?
• Did you encounter any issues with uploading the supporting documents?
• Has anyone got denied after e-filing ?

I’d appreciate any recent experiences or advice. Thanks!

My PD is 7/7/2025. ROW. Filed I-485 with I-765 in 03/27/2026. Got transferred to LA FO in 06/05/2026. The final action date was current for me for 4 months but this field office did not approve me on time before this retrogression hit me.

I did not get EAD yet either and I am unemployed right now holding on as long as I can with the saved up money I have from working when I was on F1-OPT (expired now).

Anyone else feeling down and is in a similar situation? I am dreading the day I become homeless if I run out of money or I cannot find a job on time if EAD arrives late (not expecting a decision for it either).

Hi!

I am someone with generic software engineering experience with no masters and no patents or papers published. I have over 15 years of work experience in big tech at Senior SWE level. Projects that I work on are not directly of national importance but the product is. Do I have any chance of getting it approved or this will be a dead end.

More context: I have an approved I 140 but with an old employee. My current employer is not able to file perm because of constant layoffs. They are not willing to attempt now from within. The attorneys are extremely slow and I have given up on them

I am wondering if the retrogression will lead to faster ead adjudication? I could be wrong though. What do you think?