Success Stories: Strengthening America’s Infrastructure: O1A Approval for a Senior Design Engineer
Client’s Testimonial:
“I want to thank you all for your continued support and patience throughout this long and stressful process. I truly appreciate it!!”
On October 7th, 2025, we received another O1-A (Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement) approval for a Senior Design Engineer in the Field of Civil Engineering (Approval Notice).
General Field: Civil Engineering
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Senior Design Engineer
Country of Birth: China
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: New Jersey
Approval Notice Date: October 7th, 2025
Processing Time: 3 months and 10 days (Premium Processing Requested)
Case Summary:
Despite receiving an RFE, our firm is proud to announce the successful approval of a Chinese senior design engineer in the field of civil engineering. Specializing in bridge reliability, structural retrofitting, and fatigue-resistant design, the client works as a senior design engineer in the U.S. The case was approved under premium processing in just 3 months and 10 days, highlighting the client’s extraordinary qualifications and the law firm’s dedicated advocacy.
Research Contributions and Impact:
The client’s research has played a vital role in improving the performance and safety of bridges and other critical steel structures that form the backbone of modern infrastructure. The petition’s projects address pressing challenges in civil engineering, such as fatigue in steel bridges, retrofitting techniques for aging structures, and innovative load models for evaluating bridge reliability.
The petitioner’s studies have been supported by major funding agencies, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Basic Research Program of China, the Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s University Transportation Center.
Six independent experts, distinguished scholars who had no prior connection to the client, submitted letters praising the research as transformative. One wrote:
“[The Client] is undoubtedly one of the most capable civil engineers in the field, having contributed data that acts as a resource for the research of bridge safety/structural integrity, design, and maintenance. [The Client]’s innovations provide researchers with tools to perform similar research, becoming foundational in [The Client]’s peers’ work.”
Academic and Professional Achievements:
With a strong foundation established through her doctoral research in structural engineering, she has developed innovative design solutions for orthotropic steel decks, explored new approaches to assess bridge fatigue, and introduced methodologies to improve bridge retrofitting and maintenance strategies. Her notable achievements include:
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6 peer-reviewed journal articles and 1 book chapter published in top-ranked engineering venues.
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184 citations from independent researchers across the globe, reflecting the influence and reach of her work.
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25 completed peer reviews for prominent journals in civil and structural engineering, demonstrating her recognized expertise and trust within the scientific community.
O1A Approval and Outlook:
After the issuance of an RFE, our legal team at North America Immigration Law Group (NAILG) provided a comprehensive response that effectively addressed USCIS’s concerns by reinforcing the client’s extraordinary contributions and international recognition. This success highlights both the client’s exceptional achievements and NAILG’s commitment to representing top researchers whose innovations enhance U.S. infrastructure and advance global engineering excellence. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work in creating safer, more resilient structural systems.