NIW I-140 Denial: Water Resources / Renewable Energy

Hi all. I have benefited a lot from this community throughout my process, so I want to give back by sharing my case details. I am planning to refile and would appreciate any advice or encouragement, I am still digesting this denial.

Background

• Field: Water Resources / Environmental Engineering, focused on hydrological modeling and stormwater management for renewable energy infrastructure
• Degree: M.S. in Environmental Engineering from a U.S. university
• Current role: Engineer at a national engineering consulting firm specializing in renewable energy projects across the country
• Priority Date: August 2024 (NSC)
• Citations: ~170 at time of initial filing, ~340 at time of RFE response, h-index 5, top 1% citation percentile in field per Clarivate normalization; papers independently cited by researchers publishing in Nature Portfolio journals. I was not first author on my most-cited papers. • Lawyer: Chen. Overall my experience was good. The initial filing was weak, but that's partially on me as I didn't take control of the articulation of my strengths. The RFE response was a much better experience as we worked together more and they integrated all my inputs in the response letter.

Timeline

• Original petition filed: August 2024; upgraded to premium processing January 2026
• RFE issued: February 2026; officer challenged all three Dhanasar prongs but acknowledged substantial merit (Prong 1 sub-element)
• RFE response submitted: May 2026
• Denial: July 2026

What I added for the RFE response

• 6 recommendation letters (2 dependent: MS thesis supervisor + research collaborator; 4 independent: 2 U.S. federal agency scientists from NASA and NOAA, 1 independent researcher providing expert citation analysis, 1 compliance practitioner). Initial petition had none.
• Detailed citation evidence package: Clarivate field-normalized percentile data, OpenAlex top 0.1% research productivity ranking, 88% independent citations.
• Three specific research projects, methodology, and dissemination plan
• Federal policy anchors including a 2024 interagency report co-produced by NOAA, USGS, FEMA, and EPA directly documenting the research gap my proposed work addresses
• Updated personal statement (~12 pages)
• Employment letter documenting nationwide project contributions

My honest assessment

My initial filing was weak and a three-prong RFE was not unexpected. I spent a significant amount of time building the RFE response, going through every approval and denial post on this subreddit and trying to implement everything I could learn. I genuinely felt the response was as strong as I could make it, and I was confident about it.

The officer who adjudicated my case had an approval rate of approximately 20%. At this point I have to accept that no matter how strong your evidence is, officer discretion is a real factor that your response cannot fully control.

I only have one more year before my STEM OPT expires, so all my hopes are dangling on a quick refile and approval. I am yet to receive the denial letter. I would appreciate any kind of feedback or refiling success stories, or advice in general. Thanks you all!