Are you using a lawyer? A professional plan is about your own next steps. If you are in a research field, you must talk about where you want to take your research and professional interests next. What are the virgin forests you want to conquer and what are your plans for getting there? What unanswered questions do you see ahead etc?. If your are into practice, e. g. nursing, cybersecurity, engineering etc, what do you plan to do in the next few years in terms of developing yourself and impacting the practice field overall etc? An expert opinion must be a written statement of those who have interacted with your research and work. They must speak to its value, its potential to expand the field, solve major challenges, and improve life overall. You need at least 3 of those opinion letters from people in your field and please make sure at least 2 of them are recognized US experts. If you are a researcher, your supervisor’s words count and those of others in your field. Getting a 3rd expert opinion from outside the US will demonstrate your potential global impact. Bear in mind that the US wants to remain globally competitive and your must show them how you will contribute to that aspiration.

yes I used Jon Leuer to write them both

You are a blessing @waiting dude

@waitind Dude thank you! I wasn’t doing it using a lawyer, but now I’m for sure contacting one to do it

hi! you would want a good lawyer to help you with this, you need at least 5-6 (the more the better) of important/representative people in the field that can attest that your work and research is very important and is, as the name suggest, a national interest on the field. the greatest you can support it the easier and the best for your case.

U really don’t need a lawyer. Ifyou have samples of what others have done, you are good to go. Lawyers, like vultures, have long bills.

having a good lawyer with good experience on NIW will simplify the process for you, unless you feel capable of creating a great case by your own and is very important to be very elocuent on the presentation letter. we hired a lawyer because first we don't have experience on the case and second, English is not our mother tongue. Our laywer was the Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC in Chicago, i highly recommend them as we got our NIW case approved, they charged us 5000 for filling everything including forms 130, 485, 131 and 140. you can check then out if you want to, wish you luck on the process!

I did my own myself. I spoke to collaborators and colleagues from all over the world to attest to my work. Seven of them in total! I told them what I wanted from them. I wrote my own self praise, pointing to citations and the development implications of my work. I searched online and found universities in the US and elsewhere using my work as reading materials in key courses. I printed Google citations and attached camera shots of US researchers citing my work and building off of my studies. I included review invitations and ‘thank you’ mails from top journals. I included a couple of my top research papers in mostly American journals with some from the UK . I showed awards and recognition letters. I garnished things with conference participation and invited speaker letters. I made it clear that I was more cited and grounded than the average professor in my field in the top 10 US universities. I put in letters inviting me as PhD assessor for US universities. It took me about 3 weeks to gather what was a book-size file. I filed premium, and 140 was approved in less than two months. Lawyers will give you peace of mind. But you will still do a lot of the footwork by gathering most of these contents and reaching out to your referees. So, I thought I should save my money and buy tequila to support my brain while praising myself.

Waiting dude thank you for great explanation but it is easier wen you are for research field I believe the majority, including myself does know what google scholar means

Sure @ Svetland, if it is not focused research, you need a different approach and lawyers MAY be helpful

@waiting dude congratulations, the process you did is just what needs to be done for all NIW process, that is exactly what is being asked to FV. But not all people will have the time/resourses/habilkty to do all of that by themselves and thats when the help of a lawyer is needed, is up to everyone if they feel like they need it or not, none of us can really tell them if they do need a lawyer or not and that's why we share our personal experience in here. My husband and I did the same long process in our field because the NIW demands it (the dhasar's) and because of that we got it approved, and we also had the economical resourses to pay a lawyer to do the rest of the paperwork. Each case is different so everyone needs to evaluate their own personal situation and make a decision. F V i believe you have now a good material to start with and decide what is best for you, wish you the best of the lucks!

Thank you guys! yesterday I stayed the day talking to lawyers and now I’m going to wait and see the best strategy for that. All of them said that the agent is asking right now is for the business plan or professional plan and experts letters because, although the letters I have submitted are from experts in the internatinal taxation here in US and globally, they were my professors or employers here. The good news is that all the law firms said they can do it and I’m feeling a little confident again.

in the letter the agent says that he can see I have the requirements and that I kept improving during the years, but I could show my plan of endeavor here. He gave me a second chance and the lawyers said they can help me... I’m not in research so I need another strategy to show it for the NIW

FV where are you from? I would suggest to just do what the asked for.

I’m from Brazil. I’m a lawyer there and came to US for a masters

@Svetlana I agree. That’s why I asked for a second opinion and then the lawyers made me see the missing parts and that the agent is giving me what he wants to be proved

Cool, I did the same but I am a software engineer. I mentioned that because I read a lot of failed cases before applying mine; and some lawyers screw cases adding more unnecessary stuff and then agent used those against petitioner.

@Svetlana thank you for mentioning that. I have 90 days to set up the strategy and show it to the agent. now I believe everything is going to be ok.

It will. Hope to hear the good news soon, keep us posted.

Go for it @ F V. Don’t give them room to intimidate you. U will win!

Great you put egos apart and ask for a second advice with the lawyers, now you can definitely see a wider panoramic and chose for yourself!

Egos apart? Why do you think he has an inflated ego?

I must be the one with inflated ego, not F V ...lol....

lol guys, don’t fight. I understand all the points each one of you put in here. I did the application by myself Bc I lost my job during the pandemic and I had to use my savings to survive until I receive a new work permit. I made a bet and now I’m in a better position to pay a lawyer. But I give all the credits to those who does their process by themselves.

Don't think so, you were humble and very helpful to thread

I agree! all of you helped me in some way and I appreciate each coment here

hey guys! just as an update: I did the professional plan and sent it to the immigration last month and I received the approval notice yesterday on the I-140. Now I’m waiting for the I-485

hello I have received a rfe too. mostly o will need a referral for business plan or professional plan. if you don’t mind, could you please send it? thx

@F V did you work with any lawyer to create the professional plan? who was it?

hello everyone! what is the best website to get a professional plan and an expert opinion letter? thanks

Maybe you could recommend someone who could sign an expert opinion from America? thanks