1The Challenge

A machine learning engineer at a top-tier tech company wanted to apply for EB-1A but was concerned about their non-traditional academic profile. While they had significant industry achievements — including key patents, conference presentations, and contributions to widely-used AI frameworks — they lacked the traditional publication record that many EB-1A applicants rely on.

2Our Strategy

We built the case around three strong criteria: (1) original contributions through 5 patents with demonstrable industry adoption, including one used by over 10,000 developers; (2) high salary documentation showing compensation in the top 1% of the field; and (3) judging by documenting their role reviewing pull requests for a major open-source ML framework and serving on internal promotion committees. We supplemented with industry award recognition and media coverage of their work.

3The Outcome

The petition was approved without an RFE in just 4 months. This case demonstrates that a strong industry profile can be equally compelling as a traditional academic record for EB-1A.