Do dossier costs need to be reasonable and justifiable for EB-2 NIW?

It is worth correcting a common assumption: the EB-2 NIW does not evaluate whether your project costs are reasonable or justifiable. Unlike investment-based pathways, it analyzes the merit and national importance of your work, not the accounting of your expenses.

In other words, you do not need to build a cost justification for your dossier. What supports the petition is the substance of the evidence about your work:

• Your qualifications and the strength of your track record.
• The relevance and reach of the work you carry out.
• Why your contribution matters to the country.

Keeping contracts, invoices, and receipts is good personal organization and may be useful for your own records, but it is not evidence that the USCIS weighs in your favor based on the reasonableness of the amounts. Focus the energy of your dossier on what truly decides the case, not on detailing market prices.

Since each case is evaluated individually, it is worth checking updated requirements with the USCIS or with a specialist before putting together your petition.

About the author

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.