Success Story: With NAILG’s Guidance, a Computational Materials Science Postdoctoral Research Associate Achieves NIW Approval

Case Summary:  

Innovation in materials science increasingly depends on speed, precision, and scale. For one computational materials scientist, the challenge has been finding ways to dramatically accelerate how new materials are discovered, evaluated, and deployed across critical sectors ranging from healthcare to electronics. That vision ultimately led to a successful EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) approval, secured with the guidance of NAILG (North America Immigration Law Group).

Trained as a chemical engineer, the client developed a research focus that sits at the intersection of physics-based modeling, advanced simulation, and data-driven machine learning. His work seeks to replace slow, trial-and-error experimentation with high-throughput computational frameworks that can rapidly predict material behavior and guide experimental design.

His work had attracted competitive funding from both the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, reinforcing the national importance of his research agenda and its alignment with U.S. priorities in sustainability, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Beyond funding, the record showed a growing body of influential scholarship. The client authored 6 peer-reviewed journal articles, the majority of which were first- or co-first-authored, along with 11 first-authored conference abstracts. His publications have been cited 105 times, reflecting consistent engagement by independent researchers who rely on his methods to explore complex problems in polymer science, data-driven materials analysis, and computational modeling. Recognition of expertise extended beyond authorship. The client was repeatedly invited to serve as a peer reviewer for respected journals, completing at least 10 reviews.

Independent experts underscored the broader implications of his work. One expert emphasized that “the importance of [Client]’s research to material design capabilities, environmental sustainability, and technological innovation is evident,” highlighting how his breakthroughs have strengthened computational materials science as a whole.

Through NAILG’s strategic framing of the evidence and careful alignment with the Dhanasar framework, the petition demonstrated that the client’s work carries substantial merit, national importance, and clear benefit to the United States without requiring a permanent job offer. The NIW was approved in 7 months and 11 days, allowing the client to continue pursuing advanced research in the U.S.