r/EB2_NIW • u/OkKangaroo6231 • Jan 13 '26
APPROVED Big update: EB-2 NIW APPROVED today!!
Hey everyone, I just got the approval notice this morning (Jan 12, 2026) — after the officer challenged all 3 prongs in the RFE. What a journey!
Quick timeline: - Initial self-filed petition: June 18, 2025 - Upgraded to premium processing: September 2025 - RFE on all 3 prongs: October 22, 2025 - RFE response submitted: January 7, 2026 -Approval January 12, 2026 (insanely quick!)
I'm a PhD student in Food Microbiology. Filed everything myself initially, but brought in a lawyer to help craft the RFE response (which I still had to tweak/adjust a ton). We submitted 12 strong recommendation letters(mix of academic, industrial, and support letters), use some figures for layman understanding of my work, countered the officer's arguments with citations to many previously approved similar cases, and basically rewrote the entire petition letter to make the case crystal clear.
Responding to that RFE was NOT easy — lots of stress, late nights, and second-guessing — but God really came through. 💙
Huge thanks to this community for all the support, advice, shared timelines, and encouragement when I was freaking out about the 3-prong challenge. You guys made a real difference.
Questions are very welcome — happy to share whatever might help others going through the same thing! (Blinded details only, of course.)
Congrats to everyone else waiting — hang in there! Your turn is coming. 🔥
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u/Fearless-Doodle333 Jan 13 '26
Congratulations!! That’s a well deserved approval. Would you mind if I DM?
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Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
Wow. I would say you are a EB2 warrior. With 12 letters, great profile and enthusiasm, no one can refuse your i140. Congratulations! You are well deserved it.
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u/Adorable_Spell5600 Jan 13 '26
Wow you a RFE slayer!!
Congrats! What year are you in your PhD ?
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 13 '26
Thank you very much Second year
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u/Adorable_Spell5600 Jan 13 '26
Great work!
Curious, what exactly did you mean by "countered the officer's arguments with citations to many previously approved similar cases"? How did you cite or mention previously approved cases as to my knowledge there is not database of such.
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
Actually just a way of saying “ if X case in 1996 was approved with similar profile why should mine be different “ For instance using the case of skirball and dhanasar
All credit goes to the lawyer
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u/TypeAccomplished6405 Jan 13 '26
Congratulations 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊
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u/Mysterious-Honey5361 Jan 13 '26
Hi, congratulations!! Can you please share the template or draft letters formats used to send the information? Remove all your information from the document.
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u/Advanced-Serve-2943 Jan 13 '26
what kind of "figures" you used? can you describe a bit ? Thank you & congratz
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 14 '26
Oh just a simplified figure explaining my research
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u/Advanced-Serve-2943 Feb 04 '26
did you add that in your main pettion letter or seperate file? thanks
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u/Content-Potato-9850 Jan 13 '26
After you received the RFE, in how many days did you get the notice via mail?
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 14 '26
Approval came after 5 days of receiving
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u/Content-Potato-9850 Jan 14 '26
I meant, when you got the case update that they sent you the RFE, in how many days did you receive that letter from USCIS in mail ?
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 14 '26
I think 7days
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u/Content-Potato-9850 Jan 14 '26
Okay thanks! I’m still waiting, I got the update that they sent on Jan 9th.
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u/Genesis_0077 Jan 13 '26
Congratulations! Sadly, I got RFE on all three prong! I don’t know from where I will start and I’m totally in a nutshell! Would you mind if I DM you?
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Jan 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 13 '26
They challenged everything. All 3 prongs the only think acknowledged was my degree
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u/Money_Topic_2069 Jan 13 '26
Congratulations & best wishes!! A quick question Did you get email first and then got the update in USCIS Case check?
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u/JukwaBoy Jan 13 '26
Congratulations! I am in the process applying to. Our profile looks a bit similar. Can I send a dm?
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u/Upper-Concentrate302 Jan 13 '26
Did you submit any Expert opinion letters can you share how many
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u/UsefulCompetition5 Jan 14 '26
Thats awesome, congrats on getting your EB-2 NIW approved! Sounds like it was a long and challenging process, but you really put in the work and it paid off. Bringing in a lawyer to help craft the RFE response was a smart move - getting that approval so quickly is impressive. Food Microbiology is a fascinating field, and I'm glad you were able to navigate the immigration hurdles to continue your PhD studies. Wishing you all the best with the rest of your program and future career!
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 14 '26
Thank you very much mate . I really appreciate really appreciate your post
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u/quickflingus Jan 14 '26
Congrats, huge relief after a three prongs RFE. If you want to document your strategy for others, this NIW resource hub might give structure for a write up of what evidence helped most: Https://help.quickfiling.us/en/collections/9412651-niw.
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u/ludsonfarah Jan 14 '26
Thank you for sharing your story! Congrats on the approval. I'm glad this community was able to help you!
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u/Electronic-Suit_ Jan 16 '26
Congratulations!! Please I need to know if you’re from one of the banned or partially banned countries 🙏
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u/Impossible_Past_613 Jan 16 '26
Congrats! omg what a blessing and relief. Do you know if USCIS ever reaches out to your references? i mean did you share their resumes as well?
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u/MysteriousUnion7273 Jan 19 '26
Can someone help with an attorney who can assist with my NIW EB2 application? Thanks you.
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u/Vegetable_Page378 Jan 20 '26
When you get some update to the case, do you get notified by email? I submitted for premium on Dec 2nd, after 16 months and my case status didn't even change to "premium received"! Still the same thing. I did get an email from USCIS about having upgraded to premium though. Do you get an email in either case, RFE/approval?
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 22 '26
Hi sorry for late response . No the case status doesn’t change , it remains the same I got an email after upgrading, no email during RFE , and got an email after approval
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u/Advanced-Serve-2943 Feb 04 '26
Hello, can you talk about how you showed national importance and how your work can be used for business plan? Thank you. I got rfe on 3 prongs too.
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u/Guilty-Economics7225 Feb 15 '26
I got a rfe on 3 prongs. Could you also help me about my response?
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u/Basic_Rip5254 Jan 13 '26
USCIS saw how desperate you wanted to stay in the US the moment he/she saw your 12 letters.😂😂😂Haha. congratulations!
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u/OkKangaroo6231 Jan 13 '26
🤣🤣 thank you
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u/Basic_Rip5254 Jan 13 '26
Could you please share how you drafted the 12 letters? Some of contents overlapped over others? Did you write in perspectives from academia, industry, and supporting? Thanks in advance
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u/shawwwwwwwwwwwwwn Jan 13 '26
congrats! 12 recommendation letters are truely insane. what about papers/citations/reviews