The goal of the petition letter is to guide the reviewer through the application and the different exhibits, specifying how the different documents strengthen the case.
Example of documents / arguments which can support each of the three major criteria:
Intrinsec merit:
► proofs that the work improves the US economy / the wages / the working conditions of Americans / education for children or qualified workers / health care / US environment
► the work involves a request from an government agency and is related to an important national goal
► specify practical benefits and applications of the work to explain how it is related / relevant to the national goal (articles, publications, governmental documents, letters of recommendation)
National scope:
► the benefit work is not only beneficial for the employer but for the whole country through governmental founding, citations or letters of recommendation, evidence of collaborations (grants, emails)
National interest:
► proofs of past achievments (publications, memberships, reviewer activities, invited talks, media coverage, letters from experts or authorities)
► discuss the influence on the field (citations, wide us of the applicant's work by other people, reprint requests, downloads, patents)
► value and unicity of the degree (proof of unique background / knowledge / skills / experience which is greater than the skills of other peers, describe the field of endeavor as narrowly as possible)
► proofs that the petitioner has been a critical member of a team and that the field of expertise would be impaired without her/his competences (reference letters from independant experts or someone who has directly used the work / results of the petitioner)
►show that the national interest would be affected is the certification is not waived (practical applications, commercialisation of a patent, abilities shown as significantly better the peers', the current projects would be jeopardized, list the valuable tangible achievements, publications and the positive peer review comments, citations, high journal impact factors)
The application should focus on proofs.
Examples of petition letters can be found online (for example, http://www.eb2niw.com/eb2-niw-petition/eb2-niw-cover-letter-sample/).
Another example:
Petitioner's address
Date
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
P.O. Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266
Petitioner/beneficiary: Dr. ______________
RE: EB-2 Immigrant Petition for Permanent Residency with request for a National Interest Waiver - Original Submission. Concurrent filing of I-140, I485, I-765 and I-131.
Dear USCIS Officer:
I am eligible for EB-2 classification as a member of the professions holding an advanced degree because I hold a Ph.D. in __________ and _____________. I further submit evidence and documentation to demonstrate that a waiver of labor certification in my specific case is in the national interest.
The documents presented here show that my expertise covers the fields of ___________. The support letters and my publications in international scientific journals show _________ years of full-time experience in these fields, starting in _____ with a Ph.D., and then ________ years of _______ activities. For that work, I earn a salary that demonstrates exceptional ability, as shown by my pay stubs and employment letter (Exhibits 1). Other documents show that my achievements have been recognized by my peers: my publication are cited around _______ times (Exhibits 2), and several of my tools have been ___________; I have been invited to give talks at international meetings (Exhibits 3); I have been invited to judge the work of others, having been a reviewer for _____ international journals and conferences (Exhibits 4); and I am member of the ______________(Exhibits 5).
This petition letter serves as a guide through these submitted evidences, to show that I seek employment in an area of substantial intrinsic merit, with benefit which are national in scope and that I would serve the national interest to a substantially greater degree than would an available U.S. worker having the same minimum qualifications:
[the evidences that prove these 3 points are briefly introduced]
..............
The content of this letter is divided into sections:
1. Educational Background
2. Research Work and Achievements
2.1.Merit and Importance of ________________
2.2. Research Work #1 (date): Original Contributions and Impact
2.3. Research Work #2 (date-present): Original Contributions and Impact
2.2.1. Context of my Research: Scope and Interest
2.2.2. Significant Contributions and their Impact
........................
2.3. Other Evidences
2.3.1. Judging the Work of Others
2.3.2. Other Technical Skills and Contributions
2.3.3. Memberships
2.3.4. ............
..................
3. Summary
Then, each of the section could be discussed while referring to the appropriate exhibit number. In the summary, remind the reviewer why the petition meets the requirements. For example: .
The exhibits attached to his application show that my research is focused on ___________. _____ are privileged drug targets because _______ and such research is widely financed by the U.S. government. My achievements not only reduce the cost of _______ , but they also ______ which is critical when the interest is linked to the health of so many people.
My original scientific contributions of major significance include so far:
__________
............
Over the past decade, I have acquired extensive experience in these domains:
__________
............
My work therefore benefits the national economy and welfare since it reduces_______, it increases____ , and it improves ____. This work has been published in _____ papers and is widely recognized by my peers:
I have __________ publications, most of them in Q1 journals (top 25% of the impact factor distribution for the field).
My papers have cited ______ times according to _____ database or over ______ times according to the _____ database.
The ___ that I developed are used by others: ________
I have been invited to international meetings / workshops
I have been part of a panel of reviewers of the work of my peers for several important international journals and conferences.
I am member of scientific societies
I have a commending salary
As the evidences submitted establish my qualification, I respectfully request the petition to be granted awarding me permanent residence as an alien holding an advanced degree, so I can carry on working in my area of expertise in the United States.
Should further information or original copies of these documents be required, please inform me at your earliest convenience.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my request.
Sincerely,