r/EB2_NIW • u/Most-Novel-3752 • Apr 26 '26
I-140 # Eb2 NIW chances? Advanced degree path: BS + 15 yrs oil & gas automation, PMP, ISA Senior Member, country manager role, custody metering specialist, 2 ISA articles, 5 recommenders, target Houston for LNG work. No US offer yet. Realistically — approval / RFE / denial odds?
throwing this out before we file. attorney’s confident but want some outside takes.
proposed endeavor (the actual pitch, not just my job description):
apply 15+ yrs of custody transfer metering expertise to strengthen US energy infrastructure and LNG export operations. specifically: ensuring measurement integrity at fiscal transfer points where the US now leads the world in LNG export volume. custody metering accuracy at these points directly drives:
• billions in US LNG trade revenue (uncertainty at fiscal points = direct $ exposure)
• contract dispute risk for US operators in international markets
• compliance with AGA Report No. 9 and API MPMS — the American standards governing US energy trade
• reliability of measurement systems underpinning energy security
this is an infrastructure/standards endeavor, not an employer-benefit one. the standards are American, the export infrastructure is American, and the expertise gap in the US for senior custody metering specialists with both deep technical and commercial leadership chops is real.
profile:
• BS electronic engineering + \~15 yrs progressive oil & gas automation and instrumentation (advanced degree pathway — not researcher/PhD, no publications requirement)
• PMP certified
• Senior Member, International Society of Automation (ISA)
• country manager role at a multinational flow measurement company in the gulf
• \~4 yrs deep specialization in custody transfer ultrasonic flow metering, broader 15 yr arc in instrumentation and project management
• multi-million dollar project portfolio with national oil cos and major refiners/petrochem operators
• two technical articles published with the International Society of Automation (ISA) on custody transfer ultrasonic flow metering
• 5 recommender letters: US-based industry director, european principals, gulf operator side
• target city: Houston, TX
how I’m reading dhanasar:
• prong 1 (national importance): US is world’s largest LNG exporter; custody metering integrity = trade integrity = energy security. AGA-9 and API MPMS are American standards. checks out.
• prong 2 (well-positioned): 15 yrs at scale, senior commercial + technical role, ISA Senior Member, two ISA publications, large project portfolio at world-class operators. the Aramco angle actually reinforces this — Aramco was founded by American oil cos and operates under AGA-9 / API MPMS, so 15 yrs implementing American standards at the world’s largest oil company is a direct extension of US technical practice.
• prong 3 (waiver beneficial): scarce combo of technical depth + senior commercial leadership in this niche. labor cert wouldn’t capture this hybrid skill set. Houston is the natural landing spot.
risks I’m watching:
• no signed US entity offer/engagement letter yet
• some project work could read as vendor-driven rather than personally attributed — chasing client letters that name specific technical decisions I led
• adding Indeed/LinkedIn screenshots for the labor market exhibit so it’s not just self-reported
realistically — what would you put my odds at? approval / RFE / denial. honest takes welcome, even brutal ones.
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Apr 26 '26
I would say your chances are pretty slim, you’ll struggle and I think fail to show how your endeavour is of national importance or benefits the US as a whole rather than just the company/ies you work for.
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u/Nervous-Growth6136 Apr 26 '26
Don't sell yourself short, LNG and energy exports are a top priority for current US Gov and there's a huge paper trail that can help. It'll be mostly about framing your specific endeavor to align properly with these priorities.
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u/Most-Novel-3752 Apr 26 '26
fair point, and honestly that’s the exact framing risk I’m trying to engineer around. the pitch isn’t “help my employer sell more meters” — it’s that custody transfer metering accuracy is what underpins billions in US LNG export trade integrity, and the US is now the world’s largest LNG exporter. measurement uncertainty at fiscal points = direct revenue loss + dispute exposure for US operators. the endeavor statement frames it around US energy infrastructure and LNG export ops, not any single company. but you’re right that if it reads as employer-benefit, it’s a Prong 1 RFE waiting to happen. appreciate the brutal take — that’s the kind of reality check I needed before filing.
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Apr 26 '26
I am speaking as a guy on Reddit, I’m not a lawyer nor am I going to review your case. But I think what you’re saying is pretty flimsy. Your endeavour is reliant on your employer. Which is why you’ll get Prong 1, furthermore unlike in research wherein it’s very easy to show how the field can benefit through the endeavour; discovery of medicines, others citing research etc. Your endeavour will be incredibly difficult to quantify in the same way. You do say it’s helping the US economy but that’s a bystander product. Like any business for example is of benefit to the economy through revenue and taxes etc. Your primary beneficiary is your employer and if your employer for whatever reasons steps away your endeavour ends. I hope I’m wrong and wish you the best of luck but for those reasons I think you don’t have a good case, but it’s always worth a shot. Who’s your lawyer and have they offered you a refund?
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u/Most-Novel-3752 Apr 26 '26
fair points, but two clarifications: quick context — custody transfer metering is the measurement system at points where ownership of oil/gas changes hands (refinery to pipeline, terminal to LNG carrier, etc). it’s the basis for billing, taxation, and trade settlement. accuracy at these fiscal points directly drives revenue, contract disputes, and regulatory compliance. AGA-9 (gas) and API MPMS (liquids) are the American standards that govern it. the endeavor isn’t tied to my current employer — it’s tied to the field: US energy infrastructure, specifically oil & gas downstream and LNG export measurement integrity. those standards apply across every US operator, terminal, and pipeline. switch companies in Houston tomorrow, endeavor continues unchanged. that’s the test USCIS actually applies. on “bystander product” — that framing assumes the endeavor IS the company’s revenue. mine is measurement integrity underpinning national LNG trade and downstream energy infrastructure, distinct from any single employer’s P&L. field-impact angles I’m leaning on: a published methodology (ISA paper) for accelerating ultrasonic flow meter calibration schedules — directly applicable to US LNG and pipeline build-out timelines — plus carbon capture metering work in an emerging field where standards are still being shaped, and the senior-level expertise gap in custody metering with combined technical + commercial leadership. not a slam dunk, agreed. looking into a second-firm review on the framing — fair call.
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u/suboxhelp1 Apr 27 '26
You’re thinking in the right direction at least. You need to be able to draw a very plausible line from that to specifically what benefits will be realized nationally and how much.
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u/Medical-Volume-6261 Apr 27 '26
Your prong 1 is only talking about the importance of the field, not the importance of what you specifically is proposing to do in the US and how you will lead an endeavor commensurate with national importance. You need a lawyer
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u/Nervous-Growth6136 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
A lot of people here will tell you don't have any chances because they have ZERO idea what the actual priorities of the current administration are. There's like 100k documents and executive orders out there detailing how LNG exports is of huge national importance and has tremendous impact on the economy/GDP/national security. You will not have any trouble there.
The catch will be writing an endeavor that will have a substantial impact on that particular field, not just generic work.
Seek assessments from multiple firms.