NIW Eligibility Self-Assessment Auto-Evaluacion de Elegibilidad NIW
Check if you meet the basic requirements for EB-2 NIW Verifique si cumple los requisitos basicos para EB-2 NIW
Answer the questions to check your basic eligibility Responda las preguntas para verificar su elegibilidad basica
Case Strength Analyzer (Dhanasar Test) Analizador de Fortaleza del Caso (Prueba Dhanasar)
Evaluate your case against the 3-prong Matter of Dhanasar framework Evalue su caso contra el marco de 3 pilares de Matter of Dhanasar
Prong 1: Substantial Merit & National Importance Pilar 1: Merito Sustancial e Importancia Nacional
Prong 2: Well-Positioned to Advance Pilar 2: Bien Posicionado para Avanzar
Prong 3: Balance (Waiver Benefits U.S.) Pilar 3: Balance (Exencion Beneficia a EE.UU.)
Check the factors that apply to your case to see your strength assessment Marque los factores que aplican a su caso para ver su evaluacion de fortaleza
NIW Timeline Calculator Calculadora de Linea de Tiempo NIW
Estimate your processing timeline from filing to green card Estime su linea de tiempo desde la presentacion hasta la green card
Select options to see your estimated timeline Seleccione opciones para ver su linea de tiempo estimada
NIW Cost Calculator Calculadora de Costos NIW
Compare DIY vs attorney costs for your NIW petition Compare costos de hacerlo usted mismo vs abogado para su peticion NIW
Select options to see cost breakdown Seleccione opciones para ver desglose de costos
Understanding EB-2 NIW Entendiendo EB-2 NIW
The EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) is an employment-based green card category that allows you to self-petition without an employer sponsor. It "waives" the normal requirement to have a job offer and go through PERM labor certification.
La Exencion por Interes Nacional EB-2 (NIW) es una categoria de green card basada en empleo que le permite auto-peticionarse sin un patrocinador empleador. "Exime" el requisito normal de tener una oferta de trabajo y pasar por la certificacion laboral PERM.
Key benefits:
Beneficios clave:
- No employer sponsor needed - you file for yourself
- No se necesita patrocinador empleador - usted presenta por si mismo
- No PERM labor certification - saves 12-18 months
- Sin certificacion laboral PERM - ahorra 12-18 meses
- Job flexibility - change jobs/employers freely
- Flexibilidad laboral - cambie de trabajo/empleadores libremente
- Concurrent filing - file I-140 and I-485 together if current
- Presentacion concurrente - presente I-140 e I-485 juntos si esta al dia
Since 2016, USCIS uses the Matter of Dhanasar framework to evaluate NIW petitions. You must satisfy all 3 prongs:
Desde 2016, USCIS usa el marco de Matter of Dhanasar para evaluar peticiones NIW. Debe satisfacer los 3 pilares:
Your proposed endeavor must have substantial merit in areas like business, science, technology, education, health, or culture. It must also have national importance - impact beyond a local area.
Su esfuerzo propuesto debe tener merito sustancial en areas como negocios, ciencia, tecnologia, educacion, salud o cultura. Tambien debe tener importancia nacional - impacto mas alla de un area local.
You must show you are well-positioned to advance the endeavor. Evidence includes: education, skills, knowledge, track record, plan, progress to date, and support from others.
Debe demostrar que esta bien posicionado para avanzar el esfuerzo. La evidencia incluye: educacion, habilidades, conocimiento, historial, plan, progreso hasta la fecha, y apoyo de otros.
USCIS weighs whether, on balance, it would benefit the U.S. to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements. Factors include urgency, unique qualifications, and impracticality of PERM.
USCIS evalua si, en balance, beneficiaria a EE.UU. eximir los requisitos de oferta de trabajo y certificacion laboral. Los factores incluyen urgencia, calificaciones unicas, e impracticabilidad de PERM.
To qualify for EB-2 NIW, you must first meet the EB-2 education requirements:
Para calificar para EB-2 NIW, primero debe cumplir los requisitos de educacion EB-2:
- Advanced degree: Master's degree or higher, OR
- Titulo avanzado: Maestria o superior, O
- Bachelor's + 5 years: Bachelor's degree plus 5 years of progressive experience in the specialty, OR
- Licenciatura + 5 anos: Licenciatura mas 5 anos de experiencia progresiva en la especialidad, O
- Exceptional ability: Degree of expertise significantly above ordinary (harder to prove)
- Habilidad excepcional: Grado de experiencia significativamente superior a lo ordinario (mas dificil de probar)
Then you must demonstrate you meet all three Dhanasar prongs with sufficient evidence.
Luego debe demostrar que cumple los tres pilares de Dhanasar con evidencia suficiente.
While NIW is open to many fields, common successful petitioners include:
Mientras NIW esta abierto a muchos campos, los peticionarios exitosos comunes incluyen:
- STEM professionals: Engineers, scientists, researchers, data scientists
- Profesionales STEM: Ingenieros, cientificos, investigadores, cientificos de datos
- Healthcare workers: Physicians, nurses (esp. in underserved areas)
- Trabajadores de salud: Medicos, enfermeras (esp. en areas desatendidas)
- Entrepreneurs: Business owners with clear economic impact
- Emprendedores: Duenos de negocios con impacto economico claro
- Educators: Professors, teachers in critical shortage areas
- Educadores: Profesores, maestros en areas de escasez critica
- Researchers: Published academics with citations
- Investigadores: Academicos publicados con citaciones
The Trump administration's immigration policies have made NIW increasingly attractive:
Las politicas de inmigracion de la administracion Trump han hecho NIW cada vez mas atractivo:
- H-1B uncertainty: $100K fee, wage-weighted lottery make NIW more appealing
- Incertidumbre H-1B: Tarifa de $100K, loteria ponderada por salario hacen NIW mas atractivo
- PERM backlogs: 18+ month PERM processing makes NIW's skip valuable
- Retrasos PERM: Procesamiento PERM de 18+ meses hace que omitir sea valioso
- RFE rates: NIW RFEs exist but are manageable with good documentation
- Tasas de RFE: RFEs de NIW existen pero son manejables con buena documentacion
- Priority dates: EB-2 NIW often current for ROW, manageable for China
- Fechas de prioridad: EB-2 NIW frecuentemente al dia para ROW, manejable para China
Evidence Guide for NIW Guia de Evidencia para NIW
Strong documentation is crucial for NIW approval. Here's what to prepare for each Dhanasar prong.
La documentacion solida es crucial para la aprobacion de NIW. Aqui esta que preparar para cada pilar de Dhanasar.
📄 Prong 1: Merit & Importance
- Detailed personal statement on your endeavor
- Evidence of field's national importance (reports, statistics)
- Documentation of your specific contributions
- Media coverage or press mentions
- Government reports on your field's significance
🎓 Prong 2: Qualifications
- Degrees and transcripts (with credential evaluation)
- Resume/CV showing progressive career
- Publications list with citation counts
- Patents (filed or granted)
- Awards and recognitions
- Membership in professional associations
📧 Recommendation Letters
- 5-8 strong letters from experts
- Mix of personal and independent contacts
- Should address all 3 Dhanasar prongs
- Include recommender's credentials
- Specific examples of your impact
💼 Business/Employment Evidence
- Employment letters
- Client contracts and testimonials
- Revenue/growth documentation
- Job offers or interest letters
- Business licenses and incorporation docs
📊 Impact Documentation
- Citation analysis (Google Scholar, etc.)
- Implementation of your work by others
- Economic impact studies
- Jobs created or preserved
- Products or services launched
📝 Prong 3: Waiver Justification
- Why PERM is impractical for you
- Urgency of your contributions
- Why an employer cannot sponsor you
- Unique nature of your skills
- Future plans in the U.S.
NIW vs Other Immigration Paths NIW vs Otras Rutas de Inmigracion
| Factor | EB-2 NIW | EB-1A | EB-2/3 PERM | H-1B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employer Required | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Labor Certification | ❌ Waived | ❌ Not needed | ✅ Required | N/A |
| Difficulty | Medium | High | Low-Medium | Lottery + Fee |
| Typical Timeline (ROW) | 12-18 mo | 12-18 mo | 24-36 mo | Temp visa only |
| India Backlog | 4-6 years | ~2 years | 10+ years (EB-3) | N/A |
| China Backlog | 3-4 years | ~2 years | 5-6 years | N/A |
| Job Flexibility | Full | Full | Same/similar job | Employer-tied |
| Cost (DIY) | $700-1,000 | $700-1,000 | $5,000+ | Employer pays |
| Result | Green Card | Green Card | Green Card | Work Visa (temp) |
- You want independence from employer sponsorship
- Quiere independencia del patrocinio del empleador
- You're self-employed or an entrepreneur
- Es autonomo o emprendedor
- Your employer won't sponsor or PERM is impractical
- Su empleador no patrocinara o PERM es impractico
- You don't quite meet EB-1A extraordinary ability
- No cumple exactamente con la habilidad extraordinaria EB-1A
- You want to skip the 18+ month PERM process
- Quiere omitir el proceso PERM de 18+ meses
Frequently Asked Questions Preguntas Frecuentes
Yes! Filing NIW does not affect your H-1B status. H-1B allows "dual intent," meaning you can pursue permanent residence while on the visa. You can file I-140 NIW, and if your priority date is current, you can also file I-485 (Adjustment of Status) concurrently. If the I-485 is pending for 180+ days, you gain "portability" and can change jobs more freely.
¡Si! Presentar NIW no afecta su estatus H-1B. H-1B permite "doble intencion," lo que significa que puede buscar residencia permanente mientras esta en la visa. Puede presentar I-140 NIW, y si su fecha de prioridad esta al dia, tambien puede presentar I-485 (Ajuste de Estatus) concurrentemente.
No. That's the whole point of NIW - it waives the job offer requirement. You can be self-employed, unemployed, or working for anyone. You just need to demonstrate your proposed endeavor and that you're well-positioned to advance it.
No. Ese es todo el punto de NIW - exime el requisito de oferta de trabajo. Puede ser autonomo, desempleado, o trabajando para cualquiera. Solo necesita demostrar su esfuerzo propuesto y que esta bien posicionado para avanzarlo.
Yes, many people successfully self-petition for NIW. The key is strong documentation and understanding the Dhanasar framework. However, if your case has complexities (weak education, unusual field, previous denials), an attorney may be worth the investment. Attorney fees typically range from $3,000-$8,000 for NIW.
Si, muchas personas exitosamente auto-peticionan para NIW. La clave es documentacion solida y entender el marco de Dhanasar. Sin embargo, si su caso tiene complejidades (educacion debil, campo inusual, denegaciones previas), un abogado puede valer la inversion.
A Request for Evidence (RFE) is not a denial - it's a request for more information. Common NIW RFEs ask for:
Una Solicitud de Evidencia (RFE) no es una denegacion - es una solicitud de mas informacion. RFEs comunes de NIW piden:
- More evidence of national importance (Prong 1)
- Mas evidencia de importancia nacional (Pilar 1)
- Clarification of your proposed endeavor
- Clarificacion de su esfuerzo propuesto
- Additional recommendation letters
- Cartas de recomendacion adicionales
- Evidence of impact/track record (Prong 2)
- Evidencia de impacto/historial (Pilar 2)
Respond thoroughly and on time (typically 84 days).
Responda completamente y a tiempo (tipicamente 84 dias).
Timeline depends on your country of birth and processing choice:
La linea de tiempo depende de su pais de nacimiento y opcion de procesamiento:
- I-140 (Premium): 45 business days
- I-140 (Premium): 45 dias habiles
- I-140 (Regular): 6-12 months
- I-140 (Regular): 6-12 meses
- I-485 (if current): 8-18 months additional
- I-485 (si esta al dia): 8-18 meses adicionales
- India/China: Add years for priority date wait
- India/China: Agregue anos por espera de fecha de prioridad
Yes! USCIS has approved many entrepreneur NIW cases. Key factors:
¡Si! USCIS ha aprobado muchos casos NIW de emprendedores. Factores clave:
- Job creation potential
- Potencial de creacion de empleo
- Revenue and growth
- Ingresos y crecimiento
- Investment raised
- Inversion recaudada
- Industry impact
- Impacto en la industria
- Innovation/patents
- Innovacion/patentes
The 2022 USCIS policy guidance specifically addressed entrepreneurs and clarified they can qualify.
La guia de politica de USCIS 2022 abordo especificamente a los emprendedores y aclaro que pueden calificar.