My advisor passed away. Can I use an old letter from him?

Recommendation letters play an important role in the EB-2 NIW process, as they help prove your skills, achievements, and contributions to your field of work. They are elements that provide significant support to your petition, especially when they come from professionals who had a relevant role in your training or career path.

If your advisor, whose letter you intend to use, has passed away, you can still consider using the old letter, provided it contains clear and pertinent information that faithfully and contemporaneously reflects your contribution to your field. The letter’s issuance date and details that substantiate the observations made by your advisor are essential.

Thus, even though it is a document written before his passing, the letter can have evidentiary value if it consistently demonstrates the relevance of your work, as long as the evaluators can understand how these recommendations relate to your subsequent professional developments.

However, it is prudent to provide supplementary documents that reinforce your petition. These may include other recommendation letters, evidence of publications, awards, or any information that helps build a robust and updated picture of your trajectory.

It is also advisable to include, in an explanatory letter, a brief contextualization about the fact that your advisor has passed away and the relevance of the letter at the time it was written. This clarification can help immigration officers understand the context and importance of the recommendation in your case.

Always keep in mind that it is essential to strictly follow U.S. immigration laws, as well as verify the integrity and coherence of the documents presented. Due to the complexity of immigration processes, it is important to be cautious with promises of guaranteed success, misleading marketing campaigns, and content that may distort the real requirements needed for the EB-2 NIW.

Consulting reliable sources or seeking specialized guidance can provide better direction so that your petition is submitted in the most robust and appropriate way possible. This answer is for informational purposes only and does not replace personalized consultation; every case has its particularities and must be analyzed individually.

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.