Can letters from people at the same company be seen as biased?

Yes, in an EB-2 NIW petition, letters written by colleagues at the same company as you may be read as less impartial. The direct connection and shared interest in your work tend to reduce, in the evaluator’s view, the weight of a fully independent testimonial.

This does not mean those letters are useless. Close colleagues and supervisors know your work firsthand and can describe concrete contributions with a level of detail that outsiders rarely can. The key is balance: these letters carry more weight as part of a larger set rather than as the sole support for your case.

To strengthen credibility, it is worth seeking letters from independent sources as well, such as:

• Recognized experts who have no direct connection to you.
• Collaborators from previous projects or other institutions.
• Former supervisors or references outside your current employer.

What strengthens a petition is the diversity and independence of the evaluations. Since each case is reviewed individually, it is worth assembling a varied set of letters and checking the latest guidance from USCIS or a qualified specialist.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.