What is the Summary of Contributions (SOC)?
The Summary of Contributions (SOC) is a critical document for immigration petitions. It's a structured, professional narrative that:
Synthesizes your most significant achievements and impact
Connects your work to USCIS legal standards
Provides exhibit-based evidence for every claim
Demonstrates why you deserve the green card
Think of it as your "career highlights reel" written in legal language that USCIS officers understand.
Why SOC Matters - Time is Money!
Immigration attorneys require the SOC before they can start working on your petition. Here's the reality:
⏰ Without the SoCKit:
Most petitioners take months to collect evidence and draft their SOC
Attorneys can't begin drafting your petition until you provide a complete SOC
You're paying attorney fees while doing the prep work yourself
The process drags on, causing delays and stress
⚡ With the SoCKit:
Generate a professional, attorney-ready SOC in 6-8 hours of work
Your attorney can start working on your case immediately
Complete your petition in 1-2 weeks instead of months
Save time, reduce stress, and get your green card process moving faster
Bottom line: The sooner you get your SOC ready, the sooner your immigration attorney can work on your case. Don't let evidence collection become a year-long bottleneck!
What the SoCKit Creates
The SoCKit automatically generates TWO essential documents:
1. Index of Exhibits
A professionally organized catalog of all your supporting evidence:
Organized by 14 evidence categories
Each exhibit numbered (e.g., "Exhibit 3-1", "Exhibit 4-2")
Easy for USCIS officers to navigate
Matches citations in your Summary of Contributions
2. Summary of Contributions
A comprehensive narrative document covering:
Introduction (your background and field importance)
Significant Research Contributions (grouped by research themes)
High Citation Impact and Recognition
Leadership, Critical Roles, and Judging Activities
Awards, Grants, and Honors
Media Coverage and Implementations
Conclusion (overall impact summary)
The 14 Evidence Categories
Your exhibits are organized into these categories:
# | Category | Examples |
1 | Personal Information | CV, passport, diplomas, I-94 |
2 | Recommendation Letters | Letters from experts in your field |
3 | Publications & Citations | Papers, patents, citation metrics |
4 | Awards & Honors | Recognitions, prizes, certificates |
5 | Funding & Grants | NSF, NIH grants, research funding |
6 | Media Coverage | Press mentions, interviews, articles |
7 | Judging/Reviewing | Peer review, editorial board roles |
8 | Memberships | Professional associations, certifications |
9 | Presentations & Talks | Invited talks, keynote speeches |
10 | Adoptions & Implementations | Technology transfer, industry use |
11 | High Salary | W-2s, pay stubs (if relevant) |
12 | Employment & Critical Roles | Leadership positions, critical roles |
13 | Other Supporting Materials | Additional relevant evidence |
14 | Reputation & Prestige | Conference rankings, journal impact factors |
How to Use the SoCKit: Step-by-Step Instructions
Overview of the Process
The SoCKit is a standalone application that helps you create your Summary of Contributions and Index of Exhibits. Here's the complete workflow:
Evidence Collection → Review → Reputation Analysis → SOC Generation → Refinement
Let's walk through each step in detail:
Step 1: Complete Evidence Collection (1-3 hours)
Before using the SoCKit, you must upload all your supporting evidence.
What you need to prepare: Supporting documents in 14 categories
Core Categories (Most Important):
Personal Information ✅
CV/Resume
Passport
Diplomas/Degrees
I-94 (if in U.S.)
Educational equivalency evaluation (if degree is from outside U.S.)
Publications & Citations 📚
Published papers
Patents
Google Scholar profile (can provide URL) - We have a Citation Highlight tool to simplify this whole process!
Citation metrics/reports
Awards & Honors 🏆
Award certificates
Recognition letters
Competition results
Fellowship letters
Funding & Grants 💰
Grant award notices
PI (Principal Investigator) letters
Research funding documentation
Media Coverage 📰
Press mentions
News articles (can provide URLs)
Interviews
Featured articles about your work
Additional Strong Categories:
Judging/Reviewing 👨⚖️
Peer review invitations
Conference reviewer certificates
Journal editorial board letters
Memberships & Certifications 📜
Professional association memberships
Licenses
Certifications
Presentations & Talks 🎤
Invited talk invitations
Conference presentation evidence
Seminar announcements
Adoptions & Implementations 🚀
Technology transfer agreements
Commercial use evidence
Industry adoption letters
High Salary 💵
W-2s showing 90th percentile salary for your field
Pay stubs
Salary verification letters
Employment & Critical Roles 💼
Employment verification letters
Leadership position documentation
Critical role descriptions
Other Supporting Materials 📎
Any additional relevant evidence
How to upload:
One-by-one: System guides you through each category
Batch upload: Upload multiple files at once (even zip files!)
URLs: Paste links to LinkedIn, Google Scholar, news articles - system downloads them automatically
What happens after each upload:
System automatically categorizes your document
Analyzes prestigious entities (conferences, journals, awards)
May automatically search online for reputation evidence
Shows progress: ✅ (complete), 📁 (in progress), ⏳ (pending)
Tip: The more complete your evidence, the stronger your SOC! Don't rush this phase.
Step 2: Complete Review Phase (15 minutes)
After uploading all evidence:
The system shows a summary of all collected evidence
Review which categories have documents and which are empty
The system identifies any critical gaps in your evidence
Add any missing documents if needed
The system validates evidence completeness - checks if you have enough for a strong petition
What to check:
Do I have at least 5-7 strong evidence categories?
Are my most important achievements documented?
Do I have citation metrics uploaded?
Are prestigious awards and grants documented?
When ready, say: "Ready to do reputation analysis"
Step 3: Complete Reputation Analysis (10 minutes)
The system automatically searches the internet for reputation evidence:
What it searches for:
🏆 Prestige and ranking of conferences you've published in
📚 Impact factors of journals where you've published
🎖️ Reputation and selectivity of awards/honors you've received
🏛️ Recognition and ranking of institutions you're affiliated with
👥 Reputation of professional associations you're a member of
What happens:
System performs automated searches (takes ~10 minutes)
Creates supplementary evidence documents with reputation data
Saves these to your evidence collection automatically
Shows you the findings
Your role:
Review the reputation findings
Provide additional context if you have more information
Confirm when ready to proceed
Step 4: Trigger SOC Generation (1 click)
Now you're ready to generate your SOC!
How to trigger:
Make sure you've completed Review and Reputation Analysis
In the chat, say one of these:
"I'm ready to generate my Summary of Contributions"
"Generate SOC"
"Ready for SOC generation"
"I'm ready for SoC"
What happens next:
System confirms it's starting SOC generation
Reminds you that generated SoC and Index of Exhibits will be in workspace root folder
Notes that regeneration will overwrite previous versions
Step 5: Wait for Generation (5 minutes)
The SoCKit now works its magic!
Wait indicator: You'll see the system is working. Don't interrupt! Let it complete the full generation.
Step 6: Review the Generated Documents (15-30 minutes)
Once generation is complete, you'll have two new documents in your workspace:
Document 1: Index of Exhibits
Location: Workspace root folder Filename: "Index of Exhibits.md"
What to review:
✅ Are all your uploaded documents listed?
✅ Is the exhibit numbering correct? (Exhibit 3-1, 3-2, 3-3...)
✅ Are exhibits organized by the 14 categories?
✅ Are titles accurate?
✅ Are any exhibits missing or duplicated?
Example structure:
# Index of Exhibits ## Exhibit 1: Personal Information & Identification - Exhibit 1-1: Curriculum Vitae - Exhibit 1-2: Passport - Exhibit 1-3: Ph.D. Diploma ## Exhibit 3: Publications & Citations - Exhibit 3-1: "AI for Medical Imaging" - Nature Medicine (2022) - Exhibit 3-2: "Drug Discovery with ML" - Cell (2021) - Exhibit 3-3: Google Scholar Citation Metrics [... continues for all categories with evidence ...]
Document 2: Summary of Contributions
Location: Workspace root folder Filename: "Summary of Contributions.md"
What to review:
✅ Introduction: Does it accurately describe your background and field?
✅ Research Contributions: Are research themes logical? Are key papers highlighted?
✅ Citation Impact: Are your metrics (h-index, total citations) correct?
✅ Leadership: Are your judging/reviewing/membership activities covered?
✅ Awards & Grants: Are all major awards described with prestige emphasis?
✅ Media & Implementations: Are real-world impacts highlighted?
✅ Conclusion: Does it tie everything together compellingly?
✅ Citations: Does every claim have an exhibit reference (Exhibit X-Y)?
✅ Prestige: Are venue rankings, impact factors, award selectivity emphasized?
Read critically: Would a USCIS officer be convinced by this narrative?
Step 7: Refine with AI Editor (30 minutes - 1 hour)
After reviewing, you'll likely want to make improvements. This is normal and expected! Use the AI Editor to refine your documents.
What is the AI Editor? The AI Editor is a powerful tool that helps you refine and improve your Summary of Contributions and Index of Exhibits through natural conversation.
How to use the AI Editor:
Open either document (Index of Exhibits or Summary of Contributions) in the editor
Use the AI Editor Chatbox to start making refinements
Tell the AI Editor what changes you want in plain language
The AI Editor will make the changes directly to your document
Review the changes and continue refining as needed
Common refinement requests:
🔍 Add more emphasis:
"Can you emphasize my Nature Medicine paper more? It has 500+ citations."
"The NSF CAREER section should highlight that it's only 20% success rate."
"Add more details about my FDA-approved algorithm - this is my strongest evidence."
📝 Reorganize content:
"Reorganize research contributions into these themes: (A) Medical Imaging, (B) Drug Discovery, (C) Clinical AI"
"Move the high salary section earlier - it's strong evidence."
"Combine the media coverage and implementations sections."
➕ Add missing information:
"Add comparison data showing my h-index is in the top 1% for my field."
"The introduction should emphasize AI's importance to U.S. healthcare more."
"Include that the IEEE Senior Membership requires peer nomination."
✏️ Correct inaccuracies:
"The total citations should be 12,500, not 12,000."
"Correct the conference name to 'NeurIPS' not 'NIPS'."
"My h-index is 45, not 42."
🔗 Strengthen connections:
"Connect my cancer detection work more explicitly to U.S. national health priorities."
"The conclusion should reference specific Executive Orders about AI in healthcare."
"Link my drug discovery work to NIH strategic priorities."
Example refinement conversation with AI Editor:
You: "I want to improve Section II.A about my medical imaging work" AI Editor: "I'll help you improve that section. What specific changes would you like?" You: "Expand the Nature Medicine paper paragraph to emphasize: - Journal impact factor: 87.24 (top 0.1% in clinical medicine) - 500+ citations in just 2 years - FDA approval based on this research (Exhibit 10-1)" AI Editor: "I've updated Section II.A to include those details with proper emphasis on the prestigious venue and real-world FDA approval impact."
Step 8: Iterate Until Perfect (1-2 hours total)
Iteration process:
AI Editor makes the requested changes directly in your document
You review the updated document
Find more improvements needed? Continue with the AI Editor in Step 7
Repeat until you're satisfied
How many iterations?
Typical: 2-3 rounds of refinement
First draft: Usually 70-80% there
After 1st refinement: 85-90% there
After 2nd refinement: 95%+ there
After 3rd refinement: Attorney-ready!
Signs you're done:
✅ Every claim is backed by exhibit citations
✅ All numbers are accurate (citations, dates, awards)
✅ Prestige is highlighted throughout (impact factors, acceptance rates, rankings)
✅ Research themes are logical and well-organized
✅ USCIS legal language is used appropriately
✅ The narrative flows smoothly and tells your story compellingly
✅ You'd be proud to send this to your immigration attorney
✅ You believe a USCIS officer would be convinced
Step 9: Finalize and Save (5 minutes)
Once you're satisfied:
What to do:
✅ Download both documents from your workspace
✅ Save backup copies to your local computer
✅ Review one final time - print and read on paper if possible
✅ Share with your immigration attorney - they can now start working on your petition
✅ Use these documents as the foundation for your full petition package
What you have:
📄 Index of Exhibits - Complete, organized reference guide
📄 Summary of Contributions - Professional, attorney-ready narrative (15-30 pages)
📁 All evidence organized - Categorized and numbered
⚖️ Legal language used - USCIS-appropriate terminology throughout
🎯 Ready for petition - Foundation document complete
What Makes a Strong Summary of Contributions?
✅ DO:
Cite Every Claim
❌ "The petitioner received prestigious awards"
✅ "The petitioner received the NSF CAREER Award (Exhibit 4-1), MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (Exhibit 4-2)..."
Quantify Everything
❌ "Published many papers"
✅ "Published 50+ papers, including 15 in top-tier venues (Nature, Science, Cell) with 12,500+ total citations (Exhibit 3-4)"
Highlight Prestige
❌ "Published in Nature Medicine"
✅ "Published in Nature Medicine (impact factor: 87.24, ranked #1 in clinical medicine, acceptance rate: 8%) - Exhibit 3-1"
Show Impact
❌ "Developed an AI algorithm"
✅ "Developed an AI algorithm that received FDA approval and is now used in 500+ hospitals to screen 100,000+ patients annually (Exhibit 10-1)"
Connect to National Interest
❌ "Research in cancer detection"
✅ "Research in cancer detection addresses critical U.S. healthcare challenge—cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in the United States, affecting 1.9 million Americans annually (American Cancer Society, 2023)"
❌ DON'T:
Never Fabricate
Don't claim awards you didn't receive
Don't inflate numbers
Don't assume institutions are prestigious without evidence
Avoid Vague Language
❌ "Well-known conference"
✅ "NeurIPS conference (ranked #1 in AI by Google Scholar Metrics, 22% acceptance rate)"
Don't Use First Person
❌ "I published..."
✅ "Dr. Chen published..." or "The petitioner published..."
Don't Skip Citations
Every claim needs an exhibit reference
If you can't cite it, don't claim it
Don't Be Emotional
❌ "The petitioner is passionate about cancer research"
✅ "The petitioner has contributed significantly to cancer detection research, as evidenced by..."
Common Questions
Q: Do immigration attorneys really require the SOC before starting? A: Yes! Most immigration attorneys need a complete SOC and Index of Exhibits before they can begin drafting your petition. Without these documents, they can't assess your case strength or draft the petition letter. This is why most petitioners without the SoCKit take months just to get started with their attorney. The SoCKit reduces this to 1-2 weeks.
Q: Can I use the SOC if I'm working with an immigration attorney? A: Absolutely! In fact, your attorney will appreciate receiving a well-organized, professional SOC. It saves them significant time and allows them to focus on legal strategy rather than evidence compilation. Many attorneys are impressed by the quality of SoCKit output. Just let them know you used an AI-assisted tool to organize your evidence.
Q: How long should my Summary of Contributions be? A: Typically 15-30 pages, depending on your career stage and evidence. Early career: 10-15 pages. Mid-career: 15-25 pages. Senior: 25-35 pages. Quality matters more than length.
Q: Can I regenerate if I don't like the first version? A: Yes! You can regenerate ad needed. However, regeneration overwrites the previous version, so review carefully and save any versions you want to keep.
Q: What if some categories have no evidence? A: That's normal! The SoCKit automatically skips categories with no evidence. You don't need all 14 categories—focus on your strongest 5-7 categories.
Q: Should I include everything or just highlights? A: Include ALL your evidence in the Index of Exhibits, but the Summary of Contributions should focus on your most significant contributions.
Q: How are research themes determined? A: The SoCKit analyzes your publication titles and summaries to detect 3-4 related research themes. If you want different groupings, just ask: "Can you reorganize research contributions by X, Y, Z themes?"
Q: What if the builder missed something important? A: Just point it out: "Can you add more detail about my FDA-approved algorithm (Exhibit 10-1)?" or "The NSF CAREER award section should emphasize the 20% success rate more."
Q: Can I edit the generated documents directly? A: Yes! You can edit them manually or use the AI Editor for intelligent refinements. The AI Editor is the recommended way because it understands the document structure and USCIS requirements. Simply open the document and click the AI Editor button to start making improvements through conversation.
Q: Can I use the SOC for different types of immigration petitions? A: Yes! The SoCKit can be used for various immigration petition types. You can adjust the language and emphasis based on your specific petition requirements:
Emphasize national importance and substantial merit for certain petition types
Emphasize extraordinary ability and sustained acclaim for others
The core structure and evidence-based approach works for all petition types
Tips for Success
Don't Wait - Start Now!
The evidence collection phase is what takes most people months
Start uploading evidence as soon as you have it
Don't wait until you have "everything" - upload incrementally
The sooner you finish, the sooner your attorney can start working
Upload High-Quality Evidence First
Better evidence → Better SOC
Include exhibit summaries that explain significance
Upload prestige documentation (conference rankings, journal impact factors)
Review Citation Metrics Carefully
Make sure Google Scholar profile is up-to-date
Include h-index, i10-index, total citations
Note your most cited papers
Document Everything
Award selectivity rates (if available)
Conference acceptance rates
Journal impact factors
Grant success rates
Employer/institution rankings
Think About Narrative
Your research should tell a coherent story
Themes should connect logically
Show progression and depth of expertise
Tailor to Your Petition Type
Connect your work to relevant legal standards
Show societal impact and national benefit
Highlight sustained acclaim and recognition
Demonstrate your unique qualifications
Iterate and Refine
First version is rarely perfect
Request specific improvements
Read critically—would a USCIS officer be convinced?
Example Refinement Requests
After reviewing your SOC, you might say:
"The introduction should emphasize AI's importance to U.S. healthcare more strongly"
"Can you reorganize research contributions into: (A) Medical Imaging, (B) Drug Discovery, (C) Clinical Decision Support?"
"Add more details about the Nature Medicine paper's impact factor and citations"
"The NSF CAREER section needs to emphasize it's the most prestigious early-career award"
"Expand the FDA approval section—this is my strongest evidence of real-world impact"
"The conclusion should connect my work more explicitly to U.S. national interests"
"Can you add comparison data showing my h-index is in the top 1% for my field?"
Your SOC Journey: Timeline
Week 0: Evidence Collection (Most Critical!)
This is where most people get stuck for months without the builder.
Days 1-2: Core Documents
Upload CV, passport, diplomas
Upload all publications and patents
Add Google Scholar profile (use Citation Highlight tool!)
Days 3-4: Awards & Grants
Scan and upload award certificates
Upload grant award letters
Document funding amounts and selectivity
Days 5-6: Professional Activities
Upload peer review invitations
Add membership certificates
Document leadership roles
Day 7: Media & Impact
Add news articles (paste URLs!)
Upload technology transfer agreements
Document industry adoptions
Total: 1 week of active work (1-3 hours/day)
Week 1-2: SOC Generation & Refinement
Monday: Review & Reputation Analysis (25 minutes)
Review all collected evidence (15 min)
System performs reputation analysis (10 min)
Monday: SOC Generation (5 minutes)
Trigger SOC generation
Wait for both documents to be created
Monday-Tuesday: First Review (2 hours)
Read both documents carefully
Take notes on improvements needed
Request first round of refinements
Wednesday: Second Review (1 hour)
Review updated documents
Request additional refinements if needed
Thursday: Final Review (30 minutes)
Final read-through
Make last minor adjustments
Approve final version
Friday: Share with Attorney! 🎉
Download both documents
Send to your immigration attorney
They can now start working on your petition immediately!
The Alternative (Without SoCKit):
Month 1-2: Figuring out what evidence you need Month 3-4: Collecting and scanning documents Month 5-6: Organizing evidence by category Month 7-9: Writing draft SOC (most people struggle here) Month 10-12: Revising SOC multiple times Month 13+: Finally ready to share with attorney
Don't let this be you! Use the SoCKit and finish in 1-2 weeks.
Final Checklist Before Moving On
Before proceeding to the next phase, verify:
[ ] Index of Exhibits includes all your evidence
[ ] Every exhibit has proper numbering (Exhibit X-Y format)
[ ] Summary of Contributions covers all major achievements
[ ] Every claim in the Summary has an exhibit citation
[ ] Research contributions are organized logically
[ ] Prestige and reputation are highlighted throughout
[ ] All numbers are accurate (citations, awards, grants)
[ ] USCIS legal language is used appropriately
[ ] The narrative flows logically and tells your story
[ ] Your unique qualifications and achievements are clearly demonstrated
Your Summary of Contributions is the foundation of your petition. Take the time to get it right—it's worth it! 🎯