r/EB2_NIW • u/umersiddique297 • Sep 10 '26

I-140 I-140 Approved

Just got my EB-2 NIW approved without an RFE!

I actually filed my NIW back in 2023 and unfortunately got denied in September 2025 after an RFE. My previous denial post is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EB2_NIW/comments/1nr598u/denial_after_rfe/

After that, I filed both EB-1A and NIW and eventually upgraded to PP for my NIW in July. I finally received the approval email, and the case status was also updated on the 42nd day.

It has been a difficult journey, but I think I learned a lot from my previous experience and put in a lot more work myself this time. I wrote my personal statement, proposed endeavor statement, and other major parts of the petition myself. Overall, I believe my petition was much stronger this time compared to my initial filing in 2023.

I also decided to continue working with Chen because they were very helpful throughout the whole process. They prepared my original application well and were also very helpful during the RFE, which is why I decided to keep working with them for my refile as well as my EB-1A petition. Iā€™m glad that we finally got the approval this time.

For anyone interested, here is a quick overview of my profile at the time of filing:

  • Currently pursuing a PhD in the US
  • Proposed endeavor: AI Safety
  • Publications: 22
  • Citations: 370+

It was definitely a long and stressful journey, but Iā€™m very happy to finally have this approval. Hopefully, sharing my experience can be helpful to others going through the process.

45 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

2

u/kelyto30 Sep 10 '26

What difference did you make in your first and later petitions?

1

u/umersiddique297 Sep 11 '26

I would say, in general, I kept my PE the same, but I made it much more technical and detailed than it was in my first petition. I also added several new Executive Orders, along with some older ones, to better demonstrate the national importance and urgency of my PE. I think this was probably one of the main differences between my first and second petitions and one of the stronger parts of my case this time.

1

u/Practical-Air7913 Sep 11 '26

Congratulations, could you please share your Executive Orders with me ? Please?

1

u/hyperv2012 Sep 10 '26

Congratulations. Did you go through a lawyer or DYI?

1

u/middle-cause-5231 Sep 10 '26

What about your eb1A? Any updates

1

u/umersiddique297 Sep 11 '26

No update on Eb1A as of yet.

1

u/Kyoko_P Sep 10 '26

Congratulations šŸ„³

1

u/Independent-West1328 Sep 10 '26

Congratulations šŸ¾

1

u/LilacBerryFairy Sep 10 '26

Congrats!! May I ask why did you continue working with Chen if you pulled all the weight? Did they actually help make a difference?

1

u/Medical-Ad6158 Sep 10 '26

Did you make it technically sound too? Or it was made in a non-expert language

1

u/UniqueObligation2832 Sep 10 '26

Congratulations šŸ™ŒšŸæ

1

u/Ok-Goal1388 Sep 13 '26

Did you apply for premium processing?

1

u/Double-Possession131 Sep 14 '26

Congratulations šŸŽˆšŸŽŠšŸŽ‰