Recent NIW Approvals at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy
Posted Oct 05, 2001

From time to time in the MurthyBulletin, we present summaries of successful National Interest Waiver (NIW) and extraordinary ability or outstanding professor / researcher cases filed by The Law Office of Sheela Murthy. Not only must the person meet the high standards demanded in these special categories to obtain permanent residency, but the evidence must also be presented in a manner that enables the INS to readily understand the groundbreaking nature of the candidate's work and its importance to the U.S.

While the majority of the law firms in the country are skeptical about representing clients in NIW cases since the August 1998 NYSDOT case, we continue to be successful in obtaining NIW approvals all over the U.S. The NYSDOT case has been described in articles in the MurthyBulletin since late 1998.

In this article we present brief summaries of successful cases in various fields where The Law Office of Sheela Murthy helped to obtain approvals. We provide a broad spectrum of those who may be eligible to file EB1 and NIW cases. We briefly describe a variety of NIW cases recently approved at the different INS Service Centers.

Chemical Engineering – Spectroscopy, Biotech and Nanophase Materials The client’s field of expertise was Chemical Engineering in the areas of spectroscopy, biotechnology, and nanophase materials. While such a field might be ideal for the Outstanding Researcher category, it is difficult to prove for NIW. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy was successful in establishing national interest. We were able to explain the field in lay terms; how it is significant to the nation; and the importance of the client's work in the context of wound healing, cancer progression, and other pathological processes. The petition was approved by the VSC.

Agronomy The client’s work entailed soil science research in the field of Agronomy. He developed alternative cropping methods designed to reduce soil erosion and increase crop yields. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy proved that his work is in the national interest, as it provides solutions to challenges faced by U.S. agriculture, to enable the U.S. to maintain competitiveness in the world market. Approved by NSC.

Environmental Engineering The client’s work in the field of Environmental Engineering is of great significance to the U.S. and is national in scope. Benefiting the U.S. environment as a whole are his important innovations in methods for monitoring groundwater and contaminant movement in the subsurface. Petition was approved by TSC.

Molecular Biology – Muscular Dystrophy The client’s petition in the field of Molecular Biology, with specialization in Muscular Dystrophy, was approved in the national interest. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy provided evidence that Muscular Dystrophy is a devastating, prevalent disease as well as a costly one, and that petitioner’s work has advanced the science of the field in a way that will significantly improve the health and financial resources of our nation.

Surface Physics and Chemistry The Law Office of Sheela Murthy proved that the client's work in Surface Physics and Chemistry helped in reducing hydrocarbon emissions into the environment. His work directly advances the understanding of harmful pollutants, thus providing significant health and economic benefits. CSC approved the petition.

Civil Engineering The client’s field is Civil Engineering, and he specializes in earthmoving productivity. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy argued persuasively that the direct result of construction engineering research is improvement of the value of the tax dollar invested in construction of roads, schools, military bases, and prisons. We successfully showed that the biggest customers of the construction industry are the U.S. federal and state governments; therefore the petitioner’s work is very much in the National Interest. Petition approved at TSC.

Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding The Law Office of Sheela Murthy showed that the client's unique work in Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding, particularly in cell culture research, has vital applications in finding solutions to biomedical problems including cancer and diabetes. Through her ability to create improved varieties of plants, she is supporting the growing U.S. horticulture business in a competitive global marketplace and producing compounds to fight cancer by isolating lines of plant cells. Approved by NSC.

Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics The client’s field of expertise is Aerospace Engineering, with an emphasis on Engineering Mechanics. The Law Office of Sheela Murthy proved that the client was providing significant defense, technological, health, and economic benefits through his research, the first of its kind, of porous shape memory alloys. His work has enabled engineers and researchers for the first time to simulate and predict shape memory alloy material behavior and its application in structures.

Computer Science – Data Mining and Algorithms The client’s field is Computer Science, specifically in the areas of Data Mining and Algorithms. Though it was a complex field to understand and relate to the National Interest, The Law Office of Sheela Murthy conclusively showed that the client's computer innovations have translated into tremendous savings for consumers, government, and industry.

Immunology The Law Office of Sheela Murthy established that the petitioner's work in Immunology is critical to her field and that she has developed many “first time” breakthroughs and discoveries. We successfully demonstrated that research considerably advancing our understanding of diseases that inflict massive devastation in terms of health and economic costs is clearly in the National Interest. We established that the petitioner’s work is enabling the scientific community of the United States to remain at the forefront of science with respect to cancer and infectious disease research.