Success Story: Strategic Win: A Chinese PhD Candidate & Optometrist Secures NIW Approval Through Premium Processing Upgrade

Case Summary:

We are thrilled to highlight the I-140 NIW (National Interest Waiver) approval of an O.D. holder whose research is redefining non-surgical treatments for corneal disease and vision loss. Her petition, filed in February 2025 and upgraded to Premium Processing post-submission, was approved after just 1 month and 18 days – an outcome reflecting both the value of her scientific work and our firm’s rigorous petition strategy.

Field and Research Focus

Our client is an expert in optometry, specializing in scleral lenses and specialty contact lens design. Her proposed endeavor centers on enhancing these lenses using advanced ocular imaging technologies to provide safer, non-invasive treatment alternatives for corneal blindness and related disorders. Her innovations offer a vital pathway to preserving and restoring vision for millions at risk of vision loss due to conditions such as keratopathy, neurotrophic keratitis, and dry eye disease.

She plans to continue her research in an academic setting while contributing to clinical innovation and education.

Petition Category and Contributions

Filed under the EB-2 NIW category, her petition highlighted:

● 3 peer-reviewed journal articles and 8 first-authored abstracts,

● 18 citations according to Google Scholar,

● Multiple citations from international experts applying her methods to augmented reality systems and neural vision research,

● 3 completed peer reviews and editorial board service with a top-tier optometry journal,

● Funding from major agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund.

Letters of Recommendation

Her case was further strengthened by four expert letters of recommendation, including two from independent professionals in academia and clinical research. These letters affirmed the originality and national significance of her contributions.

“To conclude, the importance of [Client’s] research to understanding binocular rivalry, advancing treatments for amblyopia, and improving visual processing models is evident, given the breakthroughs that her research has fostered in these areas and in optometry more generally. Ensuring that [Client’s] work continues is not only important to the field, but to the United States as well.”

Her NIW approval underscores the merit of vision research in improving public health outcomes. We look forward to her continued impact in the field of clinical optometry and vision science.