Can volunteer or unpaid experiences be used in an EB-2 NIW petition?

Yes. In the EB-2 NIW, volunteer or unpaid experiences can be included in your petition, as long as they are relevant to your field and help demonstrate the value and reach of your work. What matters is not whether the activity was paid, but what it reveals about your contributions and the impact you generated.

For these experiences to count in your favor, documentation is key. It helps to gather concrete evidence of participation and results, such as:

• Recommendation letters and statements from the organizations involved.
• Certificates, project records, and evidence of leadership or coordination.
• Publications, reports, or testimonials that confirm the outcome of the activity.

Describe each experience clearly, showing how it connects to the field presented in the petition and how it strengthens the national interest argument. A well-documented volunteer contribution can be just as persuasive as a paid experience, because the USCIS weighs the substance of the contribution.

Since each case is evaluated individually, confirm the current guidelines at the official source (USCIS) and, if you have questions about your profile, consider reviewing your strategy with a specialist.

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Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

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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.