Step-by-step process to prepare  National Interest Waiver petition

If you are interested in filing the NIW petition or you believe that you are qualified to meet either of them, followings are our firm’s detailed process:

1. Initial Contact: contact our offices, via email your resume/cv to [email protected], phone (713) 271-0852, fax to (713) 271-0853, for free initial evaluation;

2. Free Initial Evaluation: Chao Law Firm will evaluate your credentials and estimate the feasibility to file the petition for you; we will email you our evaluation; you are encouraged and welcomed to communicate with us either via email or over the phone for your questions or concerns during this stage;

3. Options: We will inform you other options if, in our judgment and experience, this kind of petition is not your best interest; we will not take a case which we, in our experience, do think chance to get approved being minimal;

4. Informed Decision: In order to facilitate you to select a lawyer, please check here before you make any decision;

5. Retainer Agreement: If you are fully aware of your options and decide to retain our firm as your representative for legal services, a retainer agreement will be emailed to you for your review;

6. Full Understanding: If you decide to retain us, please review the retainer agreement thoroughly; please assure you fully understand the content of agreement, and scope of legal services, and attorney fees; if you have anything not clear, you are encouraged to ask and we are happy to explain to you;

7. Attorney-client Relationship: Once you agree, sign the retainer agreement, and mail with initial attorney fee back to us, attorney-client relationship is established; until then, attorney, in all professional functions, will zealously pursue your best interests within the bounds of the law; we will maintain communication with you concerning the representation; we will keep in confidence information relating to your representation except disclosure is required or permitted by law, court order, or state disciplinary rules of professional conduct;   

8. Commencement of your Case: After we receive your signed retainer agreement and initial payment, we will send you a copy of the agreement and a set of questionnaires for your petition to commence work on your case;

9. Reference Letters: We will email you sample of reference letters; you need to contact potential recommenders (your advisor, boss, colleague, and independent experts); in most circumstance, recommenders ask you to provide them the letter; then you will finish first draft of reference letters and email back to us to revise; we will revise and email back to you until finalizing letters; you will forward final reference letters to recommenders for review, approval and signature; further revision of letters may be required if recommenders sometimes may make such request;

10. Document Preparation: Oftentimes in preparing reference letters, we will prepare forms, organize your supporting documents, analyze your credentials as index exhibits, and prepare legal summary and argument to USCIS;

11. Submission of Petition: Once recommenders sign reference letters, you will mail all signed letters and forms we prepared back to us; after we receive your documents, we will make a final review and organize all supporting documents, and submit the petition package to USCIS via USPS, UPS, or FedEx based on client’s specification;

12. Case Number: After filing your package, attorney will email, fax or mail a copy of USCIS official receipt to client once available, which is normally around 2 weeks; while attorney always monitors client's petition by setting an email account online with USCIS, client may also want to check his/her case status online with USCIS website from time to time;

13. Adjudication: When USCIS adjudicates your petition, USCIS either directly approves client's petition or requests additional further evidence (RFE); while it is possible, USCIS rarely denies your petition right away without RFE;

14. RFE: If RFE is required, attorney will immediately notify client and instruct client to prepare further documents and respond to USCIS in a timely manner; we will draft reference letters and legal argument to respond RFE;

15. Approval: When we receive approval notice from USCIS, attorney will immediately notify client; you will need mail the payment contingent on approval to us; we will mail original approval notice to client; as soon as USCIS ultimately adjudicates your petition, attorney's representation is finished and completed unless other services requested;

16. Denial: In case of unlikely denial of your petition by USCIS, attorney will evaluate reasons of denial and advise client any available relief or options; then client may make a decision based on his or her specific situation.  

Chao Law Firm offers our clients with unlimited inquiries during the period of representation. Attorney will always contact client in a reasonable and prompt fashion regarding any progress of client's application.


Procedure to process NIW

"Approval or No Fee*" Service

Documents required

Success Stories

Significance of Citations

Some Stringent Comments from USCIS

Case Studies: How to use Documentary Evidence to Corroborate your Claims

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