r/eb_1a

Thought I had a strong profile. Got RFE on day 10 (PP), and that too a Friday, so can't even see what the RFE is about. Weekend ruined.

- AI researcher with PhD
- 20+ papers (6 first authored)
- 10K+ citations. 1 first authored paper 3K+ citations and widely used in AI industry.
- Reviewing for the past 7 years

From backlogged country but PD can be current if approved due to porting from earlier EB2 NIW petition. Hope I don't get screwed due to retrogression.

Have others also gotten RFEs with strong profiles? If they question major significance or raise concerns in step 2 Kazarian test, what's the response strategy? Filed through Chen.

Hello,

Can you help evaluate my profile.

PhD in Robotics, currently Associate Principal Engineer at an industrial R&D Lab. 2.5 yrs years post-PhD work in industry. Current work related to PhD

Publishing: 18+ peer-reviewed papers — IEEE ICRA, IROS, T-MRB, Military Medicine, etc

Citations: 220+. (Work adapted by other labs)

1 provisional+PCT , 1 patent filed

Pre-PhD research commercialized into a venture-backed medical device startup (deployed at hospitals)

Awards: Weak ($100K research grant, best paper at international conference)

Peer Reviewing: 15+ (T-RO, ICRA, IROS, HRI, and others)

Leading Role: Technical lead for entire robotics portfolio at my company.

Chen offered NIW + EB-1A combo. Approval-or-refund on NIW only, standard service for EB-1A.

Anyone else get standard service (no guarantee) from Chen for EB-1A — does that mean the case is borderline?

Should I do NIW to secure PD and strengthen profile for EB1A?

For non ROW: NIW + EB-1A or NIW + EB-1B (employer-sponsored) — which combo worked better for you?

Hello, it’s been 65days and I haven’t gotten a decision from USCIS for my EB1A petition despite premium processing fee paid and I feel because my country is among the partially banned countries that’s why a decision haven’t been reached. Has anyone file NIE yet and was accepted?? I’m trying to see my next step.

Hi - I had filed 485 after EB1A Approval with following timeline

Status	Date
Case Is Still Being Processed By USCIS	February 23, 2026
We received your Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, and sent you a receipt notice.	January 12, 2026

On chat today with Emma - found that my case has moved to San Fernando (previously Emma said the case is in National Benefits Center - does this mean any progress.

Two questions

1. Will Interview be done?
2. How much from now to get actual green card?

EB1A PP - TSC Timeline and status changes

Case received -> Case still Being Processed -> Request for additional Evidence sent on day 14 (Received RFE doc by mail) -> (within next 2 days) status changed to : Biometric RFE -> received biometric appointment RFE doc --> (after biometric appointment was done) status changed to : Case still Being Processed --> what's next?

I am yet to respond to the actual RFE.

What to expect next? Anyone has faced this?

Does anyone have any feedback on The San Diego Immigration Law Offices of Jacob J. Sapochnick for EB1A? Their website is h1b.biz.

Hi everyone,

I’m working in the art field and recently received an RFE for my EB1 petition. I previously got my O1 approved with the same law firm (different lawyer), but this time I’m feeling uncertain about how my case is being handled and would really appreciate any advice from people with similar experiences.
I reviewed the petition letter briefly before filing and had concerns that some parts were not comprehensive enough. My lawyer was very confident in the package, so I trusted their judgment. However, I received an RFE within 2 weeks after filing. I wasn’t able to find any record indicating that the IO on my case is killer.

Criteria claimed:
1.Leading role 2.Award 3.Membership 4. Media 5.Original contribution 6.Exhibition

RFE(5 out of 6):
1.award 2.Membership 3.Media 4.Oriiginal contribution 5.Exhibition

I’m particularly confused about how some evidence was prepared:

Awards:
The evidence submitted only included my certificate and the official website. There was no information about the scope of the award, judging criteria, selection process, number of applicants, or past winners.

Exhibitions:
The RFE seems templated, stating that the evidence does not establish that my work was presented at an “artistic exhibition or showcase.”

In the petition letter, the justification was very generic, something like:
“The exhibition meets the regulatory definition… held in an art environment, organized by an art association, at an exhibition venue.”

But these descriptions feel vague and unsupported, there was no concrete evidence explaining why these qualify as artistic exhibitions. Even I find it hard to understand how these were framed as such.

For the two criteria above, some of the evidence carries strong weight in the broader design field, while some may be more region specific or niche. However, I believe they are all valid and commonly accepted for an EB-1 case(Cause I 've also consulted with others who got O1 or EB1 in art field). That’s why seeing both criteria challenged in the RFE was particularly surprising to me.

My questions:

Are the issues I mentioned above common in EB-1 petition, or are they less typical?
At this stage, would you recommend switching lawyers or at least seeking a second opinion? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙏

Hello,

I filed for Eb1a in March 2025 and since have received no updates, I am filing for premium processing. Can someone please confirm what address this needs to go to? My case is processing in the Nebraska Center. Thank you.