How to respond to an RFE questioning the evidence of economic impact of your work?

A Request for Evidence (RFE) questioning the evidence of economic impact is not a denial: it is the USCIS signaling that your EB-2 NIW petition needs to better connect your work to concrete benefits for the United States. The first step is to carefully read what was requested and map exactly where the argument fell short.

In the EB-2 NIW, economic impact is one way to demonstrate the national importance of your work, not a fixed-value requirement. For that reason, your response gains strength when you show, in a qualitative and well-documented way, how your work generates value.

• Feasibility studies, market or sector analyses that contextualize the reach of your work.
• Letters from recognized experts who independently explain the relevance of what you do.
• Publications, projects, and outcomes that demonstrate innovation, the creation of opportunities, or productivity gains.

Organize the new documentation by making cross-references to each point raised in the RFE, with a summary that ties the evidence to your conclusion. Avoid promises of outcomes and present only facts you can substantiate.

Since each case is evaluated individually, it is worth reviewing the updated requirements on the official source (USCIS) and, whenever possible, working with a specialist to calibrate your response before the final deadline.

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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.