Does a voluntary job offer at a national NGO help?

It can help, even though it does not function as a job offer in the traditional sense. Keep in mind that EB-2 NIW is designed precisely to allow you to request a waiver of the formal job offer requirement, so not having a contract is not, in itself, an obstacle on this path.

Volunteer work at a national NGO is generally not treated as a job offer, because it does not involve compensation or a typical contractual relationship. Even so, engagement in projects of recognized impact can enrich your portfolio and reinforce the demonstration of how your work is relevant to the national interest.

To make the most of this experience, careful documentation is key:

• Describe the project and the concrete reach of the work performed.
• Show how your contribution connects to the national interest.
• Combine this activity with other evidence of your achievements.

Since every case has its own particularities, it is worth consulting reliable sources and evaluating your profile with an experienced professional, avoiding guaranteed-result promises and shortcuts that could jeopardize the process.

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.