It’s been a while I wrote the last post here. Several readers of our NIW blog and clients who bought our DIY Kit asked me to reveal how to organize the whole NIW petition.
Today I’m going to show you the details how to assemble EB2 NIW green card application. I want to provide a complete how-to guide which would be easy to follow for you.
I will go through the official recommendation from USCIS and then add some photos with practical tips how we put this huge bunch of papers together in a nice and clear form.
Official tips and instructions from USCIS
First of all, here are a few tips from USCIS FAQ – how should you organize the evidence with the petition:
- Provide all required documentation and evidence with the petition when filed. Form I-140 petitions may be denied without issuing a request for evidence in the instances where the required evidence described in the instructions and regulations are not initially provided. – read our blog posts where we already pull out important information for you but ALWAYS read the most recent information in official USCIS resources (every form has instructions – just google “[the form number] instructions”
- All foreign language documents must be submitted with a corresponding English translation. The English translation must be certified by a translator who is competent to translate and must verify in writing that “the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator’s abilities.” It is helpful if the English translation is stapled to the foreign language document.
The certification format should include the certifier’s name, signature, address, and date of certification. A suggested format is:
Certification by Translator
I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.
Signature_________________________________
Date Typed Name
Address
- If documenting the alien’s publications or citations of the alien beneficiary’s work, please highlight the alien’s name in the relevant articles. It is not necessary to send the full copy of a dissertation, thesis, or research paper written by the alien beneficiary, or one in which the alien beneficiary’s work has been cited. Include the title page and the portion(s) that cite the alien’s work and the “works cited” or bibliography. – we sent the full length papers but it seems it is not necessary (I found this note after our submission)
- Tab and label the evidentiary exhibits at the bottom of the first page of each exhibit, and provide a list of the evidentiary exhibits and the eligibility criteria that each exhibit is submitted to establish for petitions supported by a substantial amount of documentation. An exhibit that is being provided to meet multiple eligibility criteria should be so identified in the exhibit list.
USCIS issued also general tips on assembling applications and here are appropriate parts which might be valuable for you:
- Mark both the envelope and the cover letter as to the nature of the submission. Example: ORIGINAL SUBMISSION – BRIEF FOR AN APPEAL – RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – etc.
- Use the appropriate mailing address and mark both the envelope and the cover letter as to the form type. Example: I-140, I-485 etc.
- Provide both the receipt notice number and the A-Number as an identifier, if they are available. – we didn’t have the A-number in the first step (I-140) but in the second step (I-485) we submitted this information (we received that when our I-140 was approved). If you don’t know the A-Number, provide a COMPLETE name and date of birth. ALSO: Provide ANY AND ALL names used by the individual, including aliases, maiden names, names used when originally admitted to the United States, etc. Providing this information is extremely helpful and speeds up processing time.
- Send copies of any prior approval notices with any new requests for extensions of stay, change of status or amended petitions. Don’t assume the officer will have access to a prior file or record. Submit as complete a packet as possible so the case can be adjudicated from what you submit. Submit a complete packet of information for each petition or application. If officers have to review prior files or records, the adjudication of the case can be delayed substantially. For example when you file I-485 in second step, submit approvals from first step (I-140)
- When an opinion from a recognized authority is submitted, the opinion should state: the writer’s qualifications as an expert; the writer’s experience giving such opinions, citing specific instances where past opinions have been accepted as authoritative and by whom; how the conclusions were reached; and the basis for the conclusions, including copies or citations of any research material used.
How USCIS wants to assemble EB2 NIW petition
USCIS further recommends – in preparing your packet, please take note of the following:
- Do not use binders or folders that cannot be easily disassembled.
- Use ACCO fasteners to hold together thick or bulky applications or petitions. Two-hole punching the top of the material for easy placement in the file is appreciated.
- The use of tabs assist in locating items listed as attachments. The tabs should be placed on the bottom and not the side for ease in filing.
- Avoid using heavy-duty staples; instead use ACCO fasteners or heavy clips.
- Avoid submitting originals unless specifically required.
- Avoid submitting oversized documentation when possible.
Example – how we organized our National Interest Waiver petition
OK, enough theory, let’s see the practical part. Here is how we organized and assembled our NIW packet.
Tools we needed for assembling NIW petition
See the tools we needed in order to put the huge NIW package together:
Printing of NIW documents
First of all, I printed all the documents which we wanted to submit to USCIS in the first step (I-140). As you can see, the whole floor in my room was covered by several hundreds of papers.
Organizing EB2 National Interest Waiver petition
We had 70 evidence and documents in our EB2 NIW petition. It would not be possible to make 70 tabs on the bottom side of the package as recommends USCIS. For that reason I grouped the evidence into 27 main groups and each group contained several closely related evidence. For example group of education related documents included academic degrees, evaluation reports, university rankings etc.
I created cover page for every single evidence and document. This initial page showed clearly basic information about the evidence, type of submitted petition and name of the applicant.
I included also a small label on the right bottom of the cover page. Imagine yourself going quickly through the bulky petition. You would need to carefully turn around page after page to see what is written in the middle of each page. But what if this information is also in the right bottom corner? It allows you going through all the papers much faster because now you need to see just a corner of the page in order to know immediately what’s there. I believe this can help the officer tremendously to save time and orientate better in the NIW package.
You can see how exactly I grouped all the evidence, how I chose the order and get all the cover pages in our NIW DIY kit.
Tabs clearly organize the evidence
I needed to create tabs at the bottom of each main group of evidence. As I already mentioned I couldn’t make the tab for every single evidence because there is limited space on the bottom side of the documents. My personal opinion is that there should not be more than 30 tabs there to keep it nice and clear.
At first, I printed the colored numbers on the card stock paper. The width of each tab is chosen that all 27 tabs fit the whole width of the page bottom as shown in the following picture.
I cut the numbered tabs out.
I took one tab with number…
… put a clear tape on it…
… and stick the label on the first page of the evidence (cover page) and cut the rest of the clear tape.
Similarly, I created all other tabs as shown below.
Punching the holes on the top side (!) and fastening
I had to punch two holes on the top side of all pages as it is recommended by USCIS.
We used the fastener shown below however it couldn’t hold more than 500 pages. I wasn’t able to find any better fastener so we had to divide the NIW petition into two parts and put simply one part on another in one package.
Finished!
Here is the final result – bulk package of papers compared to AA battery (yes, it was huge!).
I put this whole package into the box with a little stuffing around so the tabs wouldn’t be destroyed by heavy papers.
NIW petition was sent to the appropriate address and that was it.
Then just waited until my receipt number arrived and checked my case status online.
And what is you experience? How did you organize your petition? Please let us know in comments below. Thank you!
Used
1) Index Tabs with Printable Inserts
2) TOPS Laser Cut Sheet Paper, 2-Hole Punched, Top, 20 Pound, 8.5 x 11 Inches, 500 Sheets, White
Bought these items from Amazon.
Still not decided to use Top binders or finishers.
Hi Nagaraj, thank you for input!
Thank you, this website is so helpful!!!
I have a quick question – do you put everything in the binders in one giant package or just the supporting evidence. As in do you leave the actual forms loose or put them in the binder?
Hi, thank you for your feedback! We put everything in the binder.
Veronika
Hi,
How recent do the reference letters need to be? For example, can I use reference letters that were signed six months ago? Thanks!
Hi Adi,
I think we had some letter even “older”. As far as I know there is no specific requirement regarding this matter.
Veronika
EB2 NIW team
Hi there,
Thank you very much for your blog. I am currently on an O1-VISA and am in the process of filing for an EB1-A. I have purchased the e-book and although it is for a different category, there is some information that is helping me put my case together. I am thinking about buying the full kit, and just wanted to ask whether it will still be beneficial to my case even though it’s different and be as helpful as the E-Book.
Many thanks again.
Victoria
Hi Victoria,
I appreciate your feedback and purchase of E-book, thank you!
Regarding NIW DIY kit: you would receive everything you have already read about in the book – practically, complete application.
In my opinion, the greatest benefit for your particular situation would be that you will see the form. How the documents were submitted and how we satisfied the criteria (although they are different from yours). Letters (recommendation and petition) show how it is organized to convince USCIS officer fast and most importantly how to make it easy for him to find that all criteria were met. Of course, your criteria are different so this needs to be changed. However, there are some similarities between NIW and EB1. For example, we had to show my husband’s past track achievements and his significant impact on the field etc.
Also you will have some similar evidence like us – for example to show citations etc.
Another benefit provide templates – these are files prepared for you (letters, cover pages etc.) so it saves some time.
And last thing which comes in my mind is similarity of I-485 together with EAD and other forms etc. This should be similar too.
Anyway, I am going to offer you full refund if you find the kit useless. Just give it a try and you will see.
Since you have purchased the book you may get discounted kit. I am sending you an information by email how to purchase it if you decide to.
Let me know in case of any questions. Thank you!
Veronika
EB2 NIW team
I just wanted to come back and here and say a massive THANK YOU. For this wonderful package put together to help people like myself. I didn’t actually apply for the National Interest Waiver, in fact I applied for the EB1-A – Alien of Extraordinary ability and was approved today. Thank you soo so much to Veronika and her team, I was so lost, I had everything I needed but how to put it together was a challenge. I highly recommend this kit, and believe it not, it not only worked for NIW, it worked for the EB1-A, which is a hard category to get. God bless you and thanks so much again. I will be recommending this blog an package to my fellow actor friends who are looking to self-petition.
Hi Victoria,
I am so happy for you, congratulations!!!
Thank you very much for sharing such a great news with us, for your amazing feedback and also for sharing your experience with your friends. We appreciate you and loved to have you as a customer!
We wish you all the best, enjoy your freedom.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi,
Wonderful website and the pains you took to organize the information is extremely commendable.
I am considering Eb2 advanced degree.
I hold a PhD in Electrical Engineering from a reputed South Korean national University, an MS from University of Applied sciences Darmstadt Germany and a Bachelors from an Indian university.
*Both my MS and undergrad degrees have been certified from WES and Engineers Australia.
*During my PhD I have invented several devices.
* Two of them are already working at Hyundai Heavy Industries (ship building)and Samsung heavy Industries(ship building)
* My invention featured on the South Korean National news channel
* I have zero years of work experience
* The wireless device I invented is right now undergoing commercialization via a startup along with my PhD advisor. I am the co-founder.
* I have 2 first author journals, 4 conference publications(3 as first author) and 2 second author publications. so the count is just 11. I donot have a good citation number.
* 1 out of the 2 publications (1 st author) was cover article of the issue in which it was published.
* My second publication (1st author) received IEEE sensors council appreciation letter.
* I hold one US patent and 2 Korean patents.
* A professor from a very reputed US university wants to hire me and he recommended EB2. He basically runs an important centre for Wireless Power Transfer based Electric Vehicle Testbeds.
* The area of my specialization if Wireless Power and Data Transmission.
Considering the above facts, which I put in “stars” and the other post of yours. I am not sure if the Korean industry expert’s recommendation letters are going to create any weight in my National Interest Waiver application. I have never visited United states.
Your pointers would be of great value,
Sincerely
Sai
Hi Sai,
thanks for your credentials, it seems great in my opinion. However, I am not allowed to tell you YES or NO (only authorized lawyers can do that which I am not). Try several attorney firms which should do evaluation of your case for free (google “free niw evaluation”).
Good luck with everything, hope you can find your way!
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIw project
Thanks for all the supporting information! very much appreciated.
Should we add the copy of paasport, visa, I-94 etc. as Exhibits in the application?
And if we do add the forms I-140 and ETA-750 in the package (hole punched and used fastener), is it OK to punch a hole through them?
Thanks
Hi Mel,
thanks for your feedback.
We did it all exactly as you described and it worked well in our case.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Which font (name and size) and paragraph/spacing size should be used while drafting the petition cover letter? Thanks!
Hi Prashanth,
as far as I know USCIS doesn’t prescribe this so it is up to you.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi Veronika,
Is it possible to get only the petition / cover letter samples from you upon payment of fees?
Hi Prashanth,
yes, I can prepare it for you however I am not sure it would be worthy to save a few bucks. Letters are the core of the whole case and are the most valuable part of the petition. Plus customization, the price would be $80. If you are still interested let me know.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Thanks! Yes, I am interested. To be honest, I am planning to file for EB1-1category. I have read good reviews on your work products regarding this too. Can you send me the payment option details and your corresponding deliverables (work products based on the payment) to my email id?
Hi Prashanth,
thank you very much for your interest and mentioning good reviews! I really appreciate it. I have just sent you email with detailed information how to proceed.
Thanks again and good luck!
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hello Veronika
I bought your kit and it has been very helpful for figuring out what is needed. I have a question regarding I-485 package. I see that you only included I-797A for current H-1B visa and just visa stickers for previous nonimmigrant visa status.
I have been in the US for 12 years, and I have been through F1, OPT, J1, and H-1B. Will it be fine not to include all I-797 notice of action occurred at every transition?
Thank you!!
Sunny
Hi Sunny,
thanks for your feedback, I appreciate it! Honestly, I have no personal experience with described situation. It is hard to say if it would be enough. I am sorry that I am not able to help better.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi there,
I bought your kit yesterday and I think I made a right decision. It has so many useful information. I’ll definitely refer you to my friends. Thanks!
One question: Could you recommend any Credential Evaluation Report company is USA?
Thanks alot!
Hi Mary,
thank you very much, I appreciate it!
We used foreigncredits.com (just Document-by-document evaluation). They did it in time as they promised. I also liked they didn’t require any physical documents from us, just uploading scanned copy, that was it.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Veronika, Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi Victoria,
The information on your website is very information and very useful for all people who are preparing immigration. Thank you very much for putting it up. I have a question regarding organizing the documents. I know you have used tab assists but did you also included a table or something to summarize what those tab assists meant? If you do, can you please share with us what kind did you use.
Thank you.
Hi Cooper,
thank you very much for your feedback, I appreciate it!
Yes, we used a list describing simply what every tab means. This list is a part of our DIY kit. If you don’t want to buy our kit, check the DIY kit website – you will find there what documents we used (i.e. what was in this list).
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi Veronika,
I was wondering if you attach forms to the big document binder or did you put them in a separate envelope. Also for citations, did you add paers of self citation? Thank you
Hi Pam,
we put everything to the one package of papers, no separate envelopes (except medical forms sealed by doctor). Regarding citation record – we submitted evidence where both numbers were visible (with and without self citations).
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hello Veronica, please could you share how you put the medical forms (sealed by doctor) to the single lump of application? For a concurrent application (I-140 plus I-485) for my wife and my daughter), would one have to perforate these forms in order to make it part of the single lump of application (pls, remember that G-325A, I-693, I-94, ETA-750b1, G1145, I-131, etc are also accompanying forms)? Does the photo have to be of specific dimensions?
God bless you for your great immigration support.
Christian.
Hi Christian,
I created “a pocket” from transparent foil (one client said they used a ziploc which might be even better) and tape it to a blank page which was part of the whole application. The sealed letter went to this pocket. I also punched all the papers including forms at the top. Photos – look at this blog post and search for “photos” paragraph, I summarized the requirements there.
Good luck!
Veronika
Dear Vero,
Thank you very much for all you are doing for us. God bless you!
Christian
Hello Ms. Vero,
I refer to your topic: “Organizing EB2 National Interest Waiver petition.” Down the line, you stated, “I created cover page for every single evidence and document. This initial page showed clearly basic information about the evidence, type of submitted petition and name of the applicant.” Please, could you clarify what you mean by “type of submitted petition.”
Thank you.
Angel
Hi Angel,
I put there something like:
I-140, EB-2 National Interest Waiver – INA §203(b)(2)(B)
Veronika
Dear Veronica,
Good day. I am making concurrent filling for me, my wife and our daughter. Would you advice to put all our I-693 forms in one transparent bag or separately? If yes, would the same be the case with I-485 forms and others?
Thank you.
Angel
Hi Angel,
I-693 should stay in sealed envelope from a doctor. We put the envelope to a transparent pocket and add it to the petition. I prepared papers for the first person’s petition together and then the same thing for the next petition. Please do not take this as an advice what to do. This is just what I did, NOT a legal advice for you.
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi! Thank you for your amazing site! I have a question regarding this phrase:
“…provide a list of the evidentiary exhibits and the eligibility criteria that each exhibit is submitted to establish for petitions supported by a substantial amount of documentation. An exhibit that is being provided to meet multiple eligibility criteria should be so identified in the exhibit list.”
So, if I have an expert letter which refers for instance both 1st and 2nd prongs of Dhanasar test how should I write it in exhibit list? Should be there Section in exhibit list saying “Exhibits for substantial merit and interest”: 1.Ref letter from Dr. xxx, 2. Ref. letter from Dr. yyy etc. And then Section “Exhibits that I well positioned…” where I again list the same letters? Or can I make one list without naming sections with just numbers of exhibits that I refer to in cover letter?
Thank you!
Hi Leo,
We did one list of exhibits and placed references in the cover letter wherever we needed them.
Please do not take this as a legal advice what to do – this is only what we did and it worked for us…
Veronika
Hi!
Your I-486 kit was really useful for me.
In your kit all the forms and evidences have numbers and cover sheet. As I understand – you assembled these huge package of paper regarding these numbers. My question is about checks, photos and I-693(it is really fat envelope). Did you fasten these under their cover sheets inside the packet between other documents ? On the photo your package seems flat — without any envelopes/ziplocks/pockets etc. inside.
Thank you
Hi Aliaksandr,
thank you! You understood well, this is what we did – each form or evidence was preceded by a cover page. And as you said, we used “a pocket” made from some piece of clear foil and taped it to the paper. But in fact, I think zip lock is a better solution. Same with the fat envelope from the doctor. The reason why you cannot see any “bump” on the photo of our package is that we filed I-140 package separately (the fat envelope was in the second package I-485 not shown at this pic). But we did exactly what you suggested.
Good luck!
Veronika
Thank you for your help! Also, I have one more quick question, just to be sure. For documents that had more than one page, did you somehow fasten their pages together (…like by clip or staple or something else)? Or all pages of whole application were fastened only by one binder without separation of documents?
Thank you one more time for your site and your answers!
we did the second option you mentioned : all pages of whole application were fastened only by one binder without separation of documents… (the separation was made by cover pages)
Hello,
Thanks for your good website and useful information.
I am in the process of filing for EB-1 A. As a big portion of my documents are photos and they are mainly available online, I would like to know ,for example, how to arrange them as demonstrative evidences for an award?
I use footnotes to add the links and want to attach photos of the links as a proof, should it be in a special format?
Hi Neda,
I am not allowed to give direct legal advice regarding your particular case (because I am not a lawyer). In our case, I always printed the evidence and marked it with number and name and then referenced this evidence in petition letter. You can see how I did this in our DIY kit. Please do not take it as a legal advice what to do, just an example what we did. Also, if you are in EB1A category, you might find valuable info at my other blog EB1Agreencard.com
Veronika
Founder of EB2 NIW project
Hi Veronika!
Thank you very much for your helpful website.
I am preparing my application for the NIW-EB2 National Interest Waiver. I have a question, even you requested the evaluation of your academic credential, is it necessary to do the translation of your academic titles?
Thank you for your response.
All the best,
Hi Roger,
thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it!
Regulation (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)) requires:
Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator’s certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
Also, in Adjudicator’s Field Manual (22.2(j)(1)(C)) published at USCIS website is written:
In cases involving foreign degrees, ISOs may favorably consider a credentials evaluation performed by an independent credentials evaluator who has provided a credible, logical and well-documented case for such an equivalency determination that is based solely on the alien’s foreign degree(s). In addition, ISOs may accept a comparable evaluation performed by a school official who has the authority to make such determinations and is acting in his or her official capacity with the educational institution.
I hope it helps.
Veronika, Founder of EB2 NIW
Now that I-944 is required, how would you organize it as part of the package? Use separate fasteners for each Form I-944 + evidence? Would evidence for I-944 have their own exhibits (i.e., restart numbering from scratch?)
Thank you!
I have one query regarding a specific question on I-485 application for me and my spouse. As I am the principal applicant, I believe the answer to question ‘is your current spouse applying with you?’ on part 5, question 10 on I-485 form should be “yes” on my application.
Will it also be “yes” on my spouse’s I-485 application?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Russel,
I am not allowed to give specific advice regarding your case – only lawyers can do that (which I am not). However, I provide complete I-485 application (wife and husband) which also includes optional I-765 and I-131. Check this separate I-485 DIY kit here.
Please let me know in case of any other questions.
Veronika
Hello Veronika,
How did you Organize / Divide documents within each Exhibit / Tab? I have created 29 group with similar evidence as per your suggestion, I totally agree having more than 30 tabs would not look good. But now I am running into a problem of how to divide the evidence inside of each group. Unfortunately, I cannot add page number to each paper as it all came from different sources, companies, and most of it is printed already. Do you think hand written page numbers would be ok or do you have any other suggestions / advices? We are talking about 500 pages….I would like to make it AS EASY AS POSSIBLE for the officer’s review. Thank you very much!!! Lucie
Hi Lucie,
that’s a problem pretty much everyone has 🙂 There is no specific official recommendation other than what you already know (tabs). As you said the main thing is to make it super easy for the officer. So I tried to group certain similar type of evidence into one bigger part (1 tab). The first page of this bigger group was so called cover page where I listed all evidence within this group. I also put a complete list of evidence (including all bigger groups plus all items inside each) at the beginning of the whole petition. But of course this doesn’t have to be the only option. I can imagine your way with hand written number could work too. The only issue could be when you add later anything to the middle of the application would you need to redo all the numbers? This would be a nightmare. Anyway, keep the officer in mind when determining the best way and I am sure it will be OK.
Let me know in case of any other questions.
Veronika
Hi Veronika,
Would you please recommend on whether single-sided or double-sided documents when printing out forms and supporting information is preferred? I’ve found that it’s a lot of papers if we use single-sided.
Thanks
Thinh
Hi Thinh,
you are right – it is usually huge amount of papers. We decided for single side anyway because it is, in my opinion, better to work with. However, this is just my choice and as far as I know there is no official recommendation regarding this matter. Do it your way, what you think is the best for your case. The most important thing is to make it easy to work with so officer can find appropriate information in your application.
Let me know in case of any other questions.
Veronika
Thank you for all the information, Veronika!
I recently purchased your NIW and EB1A diy kit. I have a specific question that I feel many of us may have.
Do you use US Letter-Size paper for printing or A4? The recommendation letters I received are all A4 sized… I am confused should I shrink them to print on letter size paper.
Thanks!!
Hi Sasha,
thank you so much for the purchases of our DIY kits!
I think I know what you mean. All the papers were SO off once we arrived from Europe – I hate these issues!
I don’t know about some official requirement regarding this matter, however I would do everything in the same size, preferably US. Maybe getting a digital copy (scan copy) and printing everything in US size? This size is what will fit into USCIS officers “folders”. Again I am not saying this is the only option or official requirement. But I would think about this – this is what we did after all, having documents from Europe and US (different sizes) and printing in US size.
Hope it helps and you will find your way through all of this, good luck!
Veronika
Hola , me podría contar por favor como demostró el ínteres nacional ? preparó una propuesta o plan de negocios , si es así cuantas hojas son recomendable?
Respecto a las cartas de recomendación si están en español deben ser obligatoriamente traducidas por un traductor? o solo los documentos legales como titulos y certificados deben ser realizados con un traductor? y las cartas bastaría con un profesor de ingles .
Muchas gracias y felicitaciones