Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for EB-2 NIW and would really appreciate feedback from people who went through the process or have similar profiles.

My background:

• 10+ years of experience in IT infrastructure and system administration
• Currently working as a Senior Systems Engineer
• Strong experience with:
  • VMware (large-scale environments ~2500 VMs)
  • Automation (Ansible, PowerShell, Shell, Python)
  • Windows Server / RHEL administration
  • Backup, security remediation, and patch management
• I’ve built automation solutions that significantly improved operations (for example, reducing tasks that used to take weeks down to minutes)
• Created internal tools/platforms to centralize VM data, audit information, and system inventory

Certifications:

• VMware VCP (VMware Certified Professional)
• VMware VCAP (VMware Certified Advanced Professional)
• Microsoft Azure DevOps Expert (expired in 2022)

Education:

• Master’s degree (obtained in 2023)

Evidence I currently have:

• Internal emails explaining projects and improvements
• Documentation of automation work
• I can obtain 5–7 recommendation letters from:
  • Current and former managers
  • Senior colleagues/engineers
  • Possibly a few external professionals in the field

My concerns/questions:

1. Do I have a strong NIW profile without publications or awards? My work is mainly internal enterprise impact (automation, infrastructure, security), not academic.
2. How strong is internal work as evidence? Has anyone been approved with mostly company-based achievements?
3. Recommendation letters: Is a mix of managers, colleagues, and a few independent experts sufficient in practice?
4. DIY vs lawyer: Has anyone with a similar background succeeded without a lawyer?
5. Proposed endeavor: I’m thinking of focusing on infrastructure automation and improving efficiency/security of enterprise systems in the U.S. Does that sound strong enough?

Additional context:

• I’ve visited the U.S. twice on a B2 visa and always respected the allowed stay
• My goal is to continue working in large-scale infrastructure and automation

Any honest feedback (positive or negative) would really help me understand where I stand and what to improve before applying.

Thanks in advance 🙏

10+ years as a systems engineer (VMware, automation, Ansible), managed ~2500 VMs, built automation reducing manual tasks from weeks to minutes, some internal documentation and emails as proof but limited formal publications. Do I have a strong case?”