Success Stories: Mexican Graduate Research Assistant in Interdisciplinary Engineering Achieves NIW Approval Without RFE, Thanks to Our Expert Team

Case Summary:

When NAILG received a request to file an NIW (National Interest Waiver) petition in December of 2021 from a Mexican graduate research assistant with a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering, our team made sure that he received the best service possible. This was done by preparing an application that would not lose. We ensured this by including the following impressive details from his CVs, transcripts, and certificates of excellence:

• We gave details of his work as an expert in the field and showed that his proposed endeavor is to work on developing numerical simulations, machine learning models, and drilling automation technology for oil & gas, geothermal, and space exploration purposes to improve drilling techniques and prevent energy extraction accidents.
• We showed that his research is of great importance to the United States because it reduces errors and accidents involved in oil drilling, both of which lead to significant environmental harm and worker deaths. This is why one of his 4 recommenders said the following:

“Injuries and deaths occurring during drilling operations are increasingly common issues affecting global oil industries, and [the client’s] work has been critical to the development of solutions for these concerns. Further, oil drilling is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. [The client’s] work on autonomous drilling systems is beneficial not only to the economic interests of global oil companies but also to their employees’ physical wellbeing.”

• We showed that his work in the area of expertise had yielded 7 peer-reviewed publications (5 of them first-authored) and 1 technical report, which had been cited a total of 22 times according to Google Scholar.
• We made sure to showcase the 8-peer review service he had performed for international journals in his field.
• Finally, we showed that his research has resulted in 3 fundings from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
• These information pieces were supported by wonderful letters of recommendation written by other experts, corroborating that our client is one of few researchers whose work has tangibly aided oil drilling endeavors in such a manner that his research must continue to improve oil drilling safety and prevent financial expenditures numbering in billions of dollars for oil companies as well as local and federal governments.

We were thus able to prove that his case was indeed meritorious and his research was of national importance to the United States. We thank him for his trust in our law firm, and we wish him the very best in all his future endeavors.