What does USCIS analyze in an RFE about costs and investments in the EB-2 NIW?

It is worth starting with a clarification: the EB-2 NIW is a merit-based pathway, not an investment-based one. Therefore, an RFE about costs and investments is not resolved by the size of the figures, but by how everything you present connects to the national importance of your work.

With that focus in mind, the points typically examined in a response are:

• The consistency between what you declare and the documents that support the narrative.
• The clarity of how your work generates benefit for strategic sectors.
• The internal consistency of the information, with no gaps or contradictions.

Any figures and projections serve only as support for that reasoning, never as the criterion itself. Because this is a case-by-case evaluation, confirm the updated guidance with USCIS when preparing your response.

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Victoria Harper

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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.