Immigration for Immigrants, by Immigrants
Specializing in EB1A, EB2 NIW, and O1A visas for individuals of extraordinary achievement, we provide dedicated support at every step. Ascend with us to unleash your potential and build a life free from immigration limitations.
Our Team
We Work Globally
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Our Practice Areas
EB1A Extraordinary Ability
EB1A Extraordinary Ability
EB2 National Interest Waiver
EB2 National Interest Waiver
O1-A Work Visa
O1-A Work Visa
Frequently Asked Questions about EB1-A
There are ten categories—publications, awards, original contributions, media coverage, judging, high salary, memberships, etc. You must satisfy at least three plus a final merits assessment. We perform a gap analysis against each, then build your petition around the strongest matches.
As many as needed. We don’t cap letter count—if additional letters strengthen your case, we’ll coordinate them. Each letter is structured around a different criterion and drafted in collaboration with your recommenders.
We offer premium processing as an optional add-on. It expedites your I-140 decision to 15 calendar days once filed.
Our legal fees are separate from government fees. We’ll provide a detailed breakdown of all USCIS filing fees (I-140, premium processing) so you know exactly what you’ll pay.
Every “original contributions” section is divided into:
- Contribution: What you did (e.g., developed a novel framework, led an incident-response protocol).
- Novelty: Why it was unique compared to prior work.
- Major Significance: How it impacted the field—adoption by companies, cited in policy, implemented at scale.
We support each point with patents, citation metrics, case studies, and expert letters.
- Receipt Notice: ~2–3 weeks.
- RFE/NOID (if any): ~4–6 months.
Approval: 15 days with premium; 6–9 months without.
- Ensure evidence is current—and organized by criterion.
- Finalize all recommendation letters, focusing each on a different criterion.
- Review the complete packet with our team in a dedicated call to catch any gaps.
Frequently Asked Questions about EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
You must show:
- Substantial Merit: Your work’s inherent value (publications, grants).
- National Importance: Evidence of policy impact, media coverage, or adoption by agencies.
- Benefit of Waiver: That bypassing labor certification advantages the U.S.
No. EB-2 NIW bypasses the PERM process, saving time and legal costs.
We compile:
- Letters from federal/state agencies or nonprofit organizations.
- Documentation of funded projects or grants.
- Media features showing policy or industry impact.
- Citations in guidelines or standards.
If you have clear evidence of national-scale impact but fewer international awards or citations, EB-2 NIW can be faster. EB-1A is stronger when you already meet multiple objective EB-1A criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions about O-1A Work Visa
- O-1A: Nonimmigrant, up to three years per approval, employer- or agent-sponsored.
- EB-1A: Self-sponsored immigrant petition for permanent residence.
Yes—extensions granted in up to three-year increments without a statutory maximum.
STEM OPT usually offers more flexibility and duration than O-1A. We recommend O-1A primarily when you already satisfy all extraordinary-ability criteria and need seamless work authorization.
Similar to EB-1A: publications, awards, expert letters, media coverage, and a strong original-contributions narrative—plus an employer or agent support letter.
Our Other Areas
Corporate Immigration
Corporate Immigration
One-time Legal Consultations
One-time Legal Consultations
Partner Solutions
Partner Solutions
Frequently Asked Questions on Profile Building
Profile building is the pre-filing phase where we work with you to document and showcase your accomplishments—publications, speaking engagements, judging roles, media coverage, awards, and more—in a way that directly maps to USCIS criteria. A well-built profile makes your petition clear, compelling, and defensible.
Most clients complete profile building in 3–6 months. The timeline depends on how quickly we can confirm recommenders, secure media or speaking slots through our PR partners, and gather documentation.
We collaborate with you to identify colleagues, mentors, and industry leaders who know your work best. Then we:
- Draft suggestive letter outlines for each criterion.
- Coordinate feedback so your recommender can edit and finalize in their own words.
- Offer a final review before signing, while ensuring the recommender retains full authorship responsibility.
Gather your CV/resume, list of publications and presentations, any existing media clips or press mentions, and a preliminary list of 6–8 potential recommenders.
Frequently Asked Questions on Media & PR Support
Major media coverage provides clear evidence of “widespread acclaim,” which attorneys commonly use to demonstrate your original contributions of major significance. When existing materials aren’t enough, our PR partners leverage their relationships and outreach resources—targeted pitch strategies, cold-email templates, and insider networks—to help you secure interviews, feature articles, or expert quotes with top-tier outlets.
Absolutely. They’ll:
- Identify the right editors, reporters, and publications—U.S. national outlets, trade journals (finance, healthcare, AI), and global magazines.
- Craft and send outreach emails using proven templates.
- Coordinate on-the-record quotes and attributions so journalists can write accurate features without us ghost-writing full articles.
- Secure bylined-article placements when possible, aligning content strategy with your original-contributions narrative.
Our PR partners provide a full suite:
- Pitch lists of target publications and contacts.
- Cold-email templates tailored to each outlet.
- Direct introductions to editors and reporters.
- Bylined article placement assistance.
- Holistic content planning—story angles, timing, and messaging—to ensure every article maximizes your case’s strength.
Through Ascend + our PR partners, you can access:
- Conference keynote or invited-speaker slots in your field.
- Panel-chair or session-moderator roles.
- Opportunities to judge academic competitions, hackathons, or industry awards.
- Workshops or webinar hosting with professional associations.
They handle identification, application support, and liaison with event organizers.
Frequently Asked Questions on Corporate & Startup Immigration
You may form an entity (C-corp, LLC) but cannot perform “work” until you have work authorization. We recommend structuring ownership and operations so that you serve in a nonemployee advisory capacity until your EAD is in hand.
Via our partners:
- Entity formation (LLC, C-corp)
- Registered agent and BOI compliance
- Corporate governance documents
- LCA filings for H-1B petitions
Yes. We manage LCA preparation, petition drafting, evidence gathering, and USCIS filing for H-1B, L-1A, E-2, and more.
What Clients are saying about ASCEND HSI
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Frequently Asked Questions on Consultations & Special Packages
A 60-minute session on any U.S. immigration topic—strategy, case analysis, Q&A—and a written summary of our recommendations.
Express is designed for urgent filings (2-month turnaround). It assumes you already have most evidence and recommenders lined up. You get the same strategic guidance, but condensed to fit the timeframe.
You can address case-specific strategy questions (e.g., RFE response), general legal questions (H-1B travel, visa stamping), and receive up to three targeted calls. In-depth profile-building work is scoped separately.
Count weekdays, excluding federal holidays. For example, 15 business days from March 1, 2025 is March 24, 2025.
Yes. We’ll vet third-party or self-prepared guidance (e.g., F-1 property ownership, contract drafts) and flag any inaccuracies or legal concerns.
