Success Stories: Accelerating Drug Discovery with AI: NAILG Supports a Machine Learning Innovator from Bangladesh in Securing NIW Approval
Client’s Testimonial:
“I sincerely appreciate the outstanding support from my attorney throughout my EB2-NIW petition. Their clear communication, prompt responses, and careful preparation of the petition made the entire process smooth and successful. I highly recommend their expertise to anyone pursuing similar immigration goals.”
On June 3rd, 2025, we received another EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval for a Graduate Research Assistant in the Field of Machine Learning (Approval Notice).
General Field: Machine Learning
Position at the Time of Case Filing: Graduate Research Assistant
Country of Origin: Bangladesh
State of Residence at the Time of Filing: South Carolina
Approval Notice Date: June 3rd, 2025
Processing Time: 11 months, 14 days
Case Summary:
As the U.S. advances its leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and seeks responsible innovation across critical technologies, it continues to welcome global talent whose work supports the national interest. One such talent is a Bangladeshi graduate research assistant whose groundbreaking contributions in machine learning have earned him a swift and successful EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval, secured through premium processing with the support of the NAILG team.
At the Intersection of AI and Biomedicine
The client’s proposed endeavor centers on developing advanced AI models for predicting drug-target interactions and optimizing drug compounds, with wide-ranging applications in drug discovery and disease outbreak prediction. This endeavor directly aligns with federal priorities laid out in the 2023 Executive Order on the safe and trustworthy development of AI, which emphasizes AI’s role in bolstering national security, public health, and global competitiveness.
His research is more than theoretical. As a graduate research assistant at a U.S. university, he is actively engaged in projects focused on graph neural networks (GNNs), deep learning, and high-throughput materials screening. These technologies have the power to revolutionize how we discover new medicines, accelerate molecular simulations, and develop novel materials for pharmaceutical and optoelectronic applications.
A Track Record of Innovation
Though early in his career, the client has made substantial strides. His portfolio includes:
● 2 peer-reviewed journal articles and 2 peer-reviewed conference papers, including work published in top-tier venues like ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and Patterns.
● A total of 82 citations, with 2 papers ranking among the top 10% and 1 among the top 1% most cited in computer science for their publication year.
● Notable funding support from NASA EPSCoR, the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, and the National Science Foundation—evidence of national confidence in the significance of his work.
Among his standout contributions is the development of DeepXRD, a deep learning model that predicts X-ray diffraction spectra from material compositions, facilitating crystal structure identification and materials property predictions. Another highly cited project involved scaling GNN architectures for materials property prediction, which overcame critical bottlenecks in message-passing depth, work recognized across multiple top conferences and journals.
Global Recognition and Peer Impact
Beyond citations, the client’s work is influencing scientific discourse on a global scale. Scholars from the U.S., Europe, and Asia have built upon his methods in studies ranging from laser-induced graphene optimization to materials discovery via machine learning.
These citations and references signal strong trust in the client’s work—a factor NAILG emphasized in presenting his positioning to advance the endeavor under the Dhanasar framework.
NAILG’s Strategic Advocacy
For this petition, our team focused on illustrating how the client’s work supports national public health, technology infrastructure, and industrial competitiveness. We highlighted his:
● Publication quality and citation percentile rankings;
● Record of NSF and NASA-supported research;
● Direct relevance to federally recognized “critical and emerging technologies”;
● Planned future research on AI-powered biomedical
We also emphasized that his proposed endeavor—while supported by his current role—is distinct from any one employer, and national in its scope and benefits.
A Responsible AI Future, Made Possible
On June 3, 2025, the client’s NIW petition was approved less than a year after filing, marking an important milestone in his professional journey and affirming the value of his contributions to both science and the U.S. national interest.
NAILG is proud to have supported this rising researcher in earning a place in the United States’ innovation landscape. His story is a powerful reminder that with purpose-driven science and the right legal strategy, global talent can help shape a safer, smarter future.