AnneGG

Successful walk-in yesterday at 3 pm at the Morrisville, NC office. Original appointment on October 4. No questions asked. Done in 10 minutes.

When I was admitted to grad school in the US, I wanted to visit the University before starting my PhD. I applied for a B2 to visit the campus and a few friends, and when I explained my intentions to the CO, he told me he would give me the B2 for three months only, so then I could apply for the F1 with my I-20. He kind of implied that he didn't want to give me a B2 for longer so I didn't have both Visas at the same time. But this was in 2005, and it is just my experience. I don't know if there are any set rules.

Hey,

yes, for sure there is a chance even if she has few publications. I was just relaying my own experience. Most of my friends who applied and got it were postdocs like me and had several publications, so I don't have any personal experience with an application like your wife's. When you look online, you definitely see many cases of people who were successful with little or no publications, but of course we don't know the statistics. For those cases, I think that you do need a great lawyer who is able to make a complete, compelling package, which will definitely include many independent letters that vouch for your wife's accomplishments. I think you are on the right track and know what to do, so let's cross our fingers everything goes well!

Hi,

I am a postdoc on J-1, and have been researching the EB2 NIW for a while now, and will soon start gathering materials. As far as I can see, your lawyer seems to be hugely optimistic about your wife's chances, given that she only has one publication (how many citations?). Maybe he/she is a great lawyer and can produce a compelling RFE, but it would have to be really good. I have 7 publications (4 first author), many conferences, got my own competitive fellowships, I have been reviewer for many journals, etc. and all the lawyers I talk to say I have a decent chance, but none of them seem to think that it would be trivial. I have been told repeatedly that the letters should be from people in my field who do not know me personally, but through my work, and they should be highlighting (like the other poster said) my achievements in the field. This is truly important, and that is why a good lawyer needs to vet letters carefully. You don't want letters saying that your wife is great and that she has potential. They should contain facts about her achievements, which seems to be harder in your case since she only has one publication.

Just my 2 cents. I wish you the best of luck.