Monthly Archives: December 2014

What forms are required for my I-485 application?

For I-485, at least three forms are necessary: I-485, G-325A, and I-693. You can choose to file I-765 and I-131 if you want to apply for an EAD card and an advance parole.

  • I-485 – Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (USCIS)
  • G-325A – Biographic Information (USCIS)
  • I-693 – Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (USCIS)
  • I-765 – Application For Employment Authorization (USCIS)
  • I-131 – Application for Travel Document (USCIS)

Some of my supporting documents are in a foreign language. Can I submit them for my application?

If you documents are in a foreign language, you need to have them translated into English. The English translation will need to be notarized by a notary public. Photocopies of the original documents, translations, and notarizations can then be submitted for your green card application. In our application DIY Kit, we provide examples of English translations and notarizations.

How do I prove that my articles are cited?

Article citations can be proved by using citation index services. Three commonly used citation index services are ISI, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. Both ISI and SCOPUS require subscription. However, Google Scholar is free and citation evidence obtained by Google Scholar is accepted by USCIS.

What are independent recommendation letters? Do I need them?

Recommendation letters from outside of your collaboration circle (your professor, your Ph.D. advisor, your manager, people you co-authored, etc.) are independent recommendation letters. Independent letters are deemed to be unbiased evaluation of your contributions and thus they could be of greater value in the eyes of immigration officers. For this reason, it is helpful to have them. However, there are cases where all recommendation letters are from the applicant’s collaboration circle. The bottom line is, getting them if you can. If you could not, it is also OK.

Could I use the recommendation letter for both EB1A and NIW applications?

This will depend on whether EB1A/NIW is mentioned specifically in the recommendation letter. For example, if the recommendation letter has the sentence “to support Dr. XXX to apply for a green card as an alien worker with extraordinary ability”, you might not want to use it in your NIW petition. If you want to apply through both EB1A and NIW at the same time, you might want to prepare a set of two recommendation letters (one for EB1A and one for NIW) for each referee. The difference between the two letters could be just one sentence.