This article lists the types of evidence commonly used to support NIW (National Interest Waiver) and EB1 (Employment-Based First Preference) immigration petitions. Providing the right documentation is critical to demonstrating your qualifications and eligibility under USCIS criteria. Whether you are applying as a researcher, entrepreneur, or professional with exceptional ability, the evidence you submit will play a key role in the success of your case.

If the highest degree is from outside the U.S. (and this is for an NIW petition), also request an educational equivalency certificate (e.g., from a member of NACES at https://www.naces.org/members).

Research papers are one of the strongest ways to show your expertise and impact in an NIW or EB1 petition—especially if you work in academia, science, or technology. They highlight your original contributions and help prove that you're a leader in your field. USCIS doesn’t just look at how many papers you’ve published, but also how important they are, where they were published, and your role—like whether you were the first or corresponding author. Papers published in respected, peer-reviewed journals that have been cited by others can go a long way in showing you’ve earned national or international recognition.

Patents can be a great way to show your innovation and impact in an NIW or EB1 petition. They prove that you’ve created something original and valuable enough to be legally protected. If your patents have been licensed, used by others, or cited in other patents or papers, that’s even better—it shows your work is making a real-world difference. Whether you're in tech, biotech, engineering, or another field, including patents helps tell the story that you're not just doing research—you’re creating solutions that matter.

Writing a book or contributing a chapter is a great way to show your expertise and leadership in your field for an NIW or EB1 petition. If your book was published by a respected publisher, used by professionals or in academic settings, or has been cited by others, it shows that your work is valued and recognized. Books take time and deep knowledge to produce, so they help demonstrate that you're a trusted voice in your area of work—something USCIS takes seriously when evaluating your qualifications

Citations are one of the clearest signs that your work is making an impact. When other researchers or professionals reference your publications, it shows they find your ideas valuable and worth building on. For NIW or EB1 petitions, this kind of recognition matters—a lot. It’s not just about how many citations you have, but who’s citing you and where. Being cited in respected journals or by well-known experts helps show that your work is influencing your field in a meaningful way, which strengthens your case for being seen as a leader or someone working in the national interest.

But let’s be honest: digging through all your citations and figuring out which ones are the most impressive can be time-consuming and pretty boring. That’s why QuickFiling offers a Notable Citation Analysis Tool—it quickly highlights your most impactful citations and gives you an easy-to-understand summary in just minutes. It’s a simple way to save time and make your petition stronger.

Honors and awards are a great way to show that your work is being recognized by others in your field. Whether it’s a competitive research grant, a “best paper” award, or recognition from a professional organization, these achievements help set you apart. For an NIW or EB1 petition, USCIS pays attention to how selective the award is, who gave it, and why it was given. The more prestigious and competitive the honor, the stronger it makes your case. If you've received any kind of formal recognition for your work, even from within your company or institution, it’s worth including—it shows you're not just doing your job, you’re excelling at it.

Funding and grants are a strong way to show that your work is trusted and valued. If a government agency, university, or other respected organization has given you money to support your research or projects, that says a lot—they’re investing in your ideas because they see potential and impact. For NIW and EB1 petitions, it’s especially helpful if the grant was competitive and you played a lead role, like being the principal investigator. It shows that you’re not just involved in meaningful work—you’re driving it forward. Be sure to highlight any funding you’ve received, even internal or institutional support, as it adds weight to your qualifications.

Media coverage can be a great way to show that your work is reaching a broader audience and making an impact beyond your immediate field. If your research, achievements, or innovations have been featured in news outlets, magazines, interviews, or online publications, it shows public interest and recognition. For NIW and EB1 petitions, coverage in well-known or respected media—especially if it’s independent and not self-promotional—can really strengthen your case. It helps demonstrate that your work is considered valuable and newsworthy, which supports the idea that you’re making a significant contribution in your area.

Serving as a judge or reviewer is a strong indicator of your expertise and reputation in your field. If you've been invited to review journal articles, conference papers, grant proposals, or serve on award or hiring committees, it shows that others trust your judgment and recognize you as a leader in your area. For NIW and EB1 petitions, USCIS considers this kind of peer recognition as evidence that you’re playing an important role in advancing your field. Make sure to include details like the name of the journal or organization, the number of reviews you've done, and whether the work was invited or recurring—this all helps show the depth of your involvement.

Memberships and professional certifications can help demonstrate your standing and credibility in your field. If you belong to well-known professional organizations—especially those that require achievements, recommendations, or a selective process to join—it shows you’re recognized by your peers. Certifications also reflect your expertise, especially when issued by respected industry or licensing bodies. For NIW and EB1 petitions, USCIS gives more weight to memberships that are selective or prestigious, rather than those open to anyone who pays a fee. Be sure to highlight memberships or certifications that reflect your qualifications, leadership, or specialized skills.

Presentations and talks are a great way to show that you're actively sharing your knowledge and contributing to your field. Whether you’ve given invited talks at conferences, presented research at academic meetings, or led workshops or seminars, it shows that others value what you have to say. For NIW and EB1 petitions, invited or keynote presentations carry the most weight, especially at national or international events. These speaking engagements help demonstrate your influence and reputation, so be sure to include where you spoke, who invited you, and what the topic was—it all helps show that you’re recognized as an expert in your area.

Adoptions and implementations are strong evidence that your work is not just theoretical—it’s being used in the real world. If your research, technology, method, or innovation has been adopted by other organizations, companies, or research groups, it shows that your contributions are practical, valuable, and making an impact. For NIW and EB1 petitions, USCIS looks favorably on evidence that your work has been implemented outside your own institution. Be sure to include who adopted it, how it’s being used, and what outcomes it has influenced—this kind of proof can significantly strengthen your case by showing real-world benefit.

A sale contract can serve as strong evidence of the commercial value and real-world impact of your work—especially if you're in a field like technology, product development, or innovation. If you’ve sold a product, service, or intellectual property (like software, a patent, or a research-based solution), including the contract in your NIW or EB1 petition can help demonstrate that your contributions have market value and are being actively used.

To make it useful in your petition:

Patent licensing is one of the clearest signs that your work has real-world impact. When a company, university, or organization decides to license your invention, it means they see real value in what you’ve created. For NIW or EB1 petitions, this kind of evidence shows that your work isn’t just innovative—it’s being put to use. It helps prove that your contributions go beyond theory and are making a difference in practice. If you’ve had a patent licensed, be sure to explain who licensed it, what it’s being used for, and why it matters. It’s a strong way to show USCIS that your work is both recognized and relied upon.

Open-source projects are a great way to show that your work is useful, trusted, and making an impact. If you've built or contributed to open-source tools or software that others are using—whether in industry, research, or education—it proves that your skills are valuable and your work is solving real problems. For NIW and EB1 petitions, this kind of evidence can be very compelling, especially if you can show how widely your project is used, like GitHub stars, forks, downloads, or mentions in articles or other projects. It’s not just about writing code—it’s about creating something that others rely on, which says a lot about your expertise and influence.

Work project reports can be strong supporting evidence—especially when they show that you’ve played a key role in important, high-impact projects. These reports can highlight your contributions, technical expertise, leadership, and the real-world results of your work. For NIW and EB1 petitions, it’s helpful if the reports are from notable projects, involve collaboration across teams or institutions, or led to measurable outcomes like product launches, efficiency improvements, or innovations. Just make sure the reports are well-documented and clearly show your role—this helps USCIS understand the value you’ve brought to your field through your professional work

Appreciation emails can help show the value and impact of your work—especially when they come from supervisors, collaborators, clients, or external partners. While they may not carry the same weight as formal awards or publications, these emails can still support your NIW or EB1 petition by highlighting your contributions, leadership, or problem-solving abilities in real-world settings. They’re especially useful when they mention specific accomplishments, praise your expertise, or come from respected individuals or organizations. When included alongside other evidence, appreciation emails help paint a fuller picture of your professional reputation and the respect you’ve earned in your field.

Requests for your code, data, or tools—especially from outside organizations or researchers—are great indicators that your work is valuable and trusted. Whether someone is asking to use your dataset, replicate your methods, or build on your software, it shows that your contributions are influencing others and being applied beyond your immediate team or institution. For NIW and EB1 petitions, this kind of evidence helps demonstrate national or international interest in your work. Be sure to include who made the request, why they wanted it, and how your work is being used. It’s a simple but powerful way to show real-world impact and recognition.

If your work—such as a paper, method, software, or dataset—has been used in an academic course, that’s a strong sign of its educational value and influence. When professors include your work in their curriculum, it shows that they consider it important enough to teach to the next generation of professionals or researchers. For NIW and EB1 petitions, this kind of use demonstrates broader recognition and real-world application. If possible, include details like the course name, institution, and how your work was used (e.g., required reading, project material, or example in a lecture). It’s another meaningful way to show your impact in the field.

If your work has been cited in books—especially academic or professional ones—it’s a strong sign that your contributions are respected and influential. Book citations often reflect deeper, long-term recognition, since authors typically include only well-established or foundational work. For NIW and EB1 petitions, being cited in books helps show that your research or ideas have shaped thinking in your field and are trusted as reference material. Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, and how your work was cited—this kind of recognition adds credibility and weight to your petition.

High salary can serve as strong evidence of exceptional ability, especially for EB1 petitions. If you earn significantly more than others in similar roles within your field or industry, it helps demonstrate that your skills are in high demand and that you’re among the top professionals in your area. For USCIS to consider this, you’ll need to provide documentation—such as pay stubs, employment contracts, tax returns, or official compensation summaries—along with reliable salary comparison data (like industry reports or government wage statistics). The key is to show that your compensation reflects your outstanding achievements and recognition in the field.

An employment letter is an important piece of supporting evidence that can help establish your role, responsibilities, and the significance of your work. For NIW and EB1 petitions, a strong employment letter should come from a current or past employer and include your job title, detailed description of your duties, dates of employment, and a statement about the impact or importance of your work. If the letter highlights your leadership, innovation, or critical contributions to key projects, it can help support criteria such as “critical role” or “significant contributions.” Ideally, the letter should be on company letterhead and signed by someone in a supervisory or authoritative position.

Evidence of a critical role helps show that you’ve made key contributions to the success of an organization, project, or team—often beyond what’s expected for someone in your position. For NIW and EB1 petitions, this is especially relevant when your work has had a major impact on outcomes, innovations, or performance.

Strong supporting materials might include:

The goal is to show that you weren’t just part of a team—you were essential to its success. Use clear examples that connect your efforts to real-world results.

Positive feedback from reviewers or panelists on your publications or grant proposals can be valuable supporting evidence. It shows that experts in your field have evaluated your work and found it to be significant, innovative, or high quality. For NIW and EB1 petitions, this kind of recognition helps demonstrate that your contributions are respected by peers and that your ideas are considered impactful. If you’ve received written comments—especially from competitive grants, high-impact journals, or government panels—be sure to include them. Highlighting praise for originality, importance, or technical strength can help strengthen your case.

An investment agreement can be a strong piece of evidence for NIW or EB1 petitions, especially if it shows that others believe in the value and potential of your work. If investors have committed funding to your startup, project, or technology, it demonstrates that your contributions are seen as innovative, commercially viable, and impactful.

To make it count in your petition: