The National Interest Waiver – A door inside the USA from Africa!

Do you at times feel like a big fish in a small pond?

Do you get the feeling that you should be doing something more important with your life because you have the ability to do so? Do you feel that the possibilities are limited in your present environment and long for a someday where your contribution will be valued?

The danger of being the big fish in a small pond is to become complacent and stop looking ahead or become bitter and stop making efforts to improve and keep growing and eventually losing sight of your dreams.

If you fit into the above profile, then you might be suited for a National Interest Waiver when applying for an immigration visa to the USA. You can apply for a straight permanent residence status without a labour certification or a job offer from a U.S. employer if you can prove that your expertise can substantially benefit the national economy, cultural or educational interests, or welfare of the United States.

Now probably more than ever before, the United States is an attractive destination for people from African countries in search of a better life. According to a study from the Pew Research Center, in 2015, nearly 2.1 million people living in the U.S., including highly-educated doctors, engineers and other professionals, were born in Africa, compared to 880,000 in 2000 and only 80,000 in 1970.

If you want to benefit from a National Interest Waiver, there are 3 basic requirements: you need to show proof of your involvement in an area of substantial intrinsic merit, demonstrate that the proposed impact of your work will be national in scope, and show that it will benefit the national interests of the United States.

EB2 Visa based on a National Interest Waiver is for advanced degree holders and exceptional ability workers and can be completed in a matter of months. The process is faster than other employment based green card petitions, without any waiting time. There is, additionally, no need to test the US job market and a job offer is not required.

A national interest waiver is however only appropriate under limited circumstances and that’s where an experience of an attorney can be of help in increasing the likelihood of success. An experienced immigration attorney will be able to assess your eligibility for a national interest waiver and help you prepare your petition. He will ensure that the documentation submitted includes forms of evidence that make the importance of your proposed work in an area of substantial intrinsic merit readily apparent and the national benefit very clear with the help of patents and licences, letters from your company, media articles, letters and articles from experts in the field describing, and attesting to, your work and its importance.

At Shah Peerally Law Group, we have, over the last 13 years, built up a solid track record of helping thousands of petitioners get through the selection process.

Shah Peerally is a renowned and trusted immigration lawyer who has been featured as legal expert on major international TV networks like CNN, AbcNews, NDTV and Times Now, intervening on crisis issues in US immigration. He also publishes regular immigration related articles that can be consulted on his blog and has his own radio show every Thursday on KLOK 1170 AM Radio.

To discuss National Interest Waiver (NIW) applications and other alternatives and benefit from our experience in immigration law, feel free to contact Shah Peerally Law Group by email or call us on 510-742-5887.