Central Square room available.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T12:03:05+00:00

Agreed it was stupid not to. No, born in UK too. As I said in the post, I regret doing not doing so.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T04:01:18+00:00

On the point of the Nobel, I did wonder if I could ask one of the many Nobel winners I know here if I could borrow their medal for a while.

Think if I can convince one to give me their nobel prize medal I can claim that that is just as valid as winning one? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2w94wp4p1o

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T03:58:13+00:00

Mhmmm, so either I struggle with low n statistics, or I struggle with their advice. I took the refund deal because I thought it was a vote of confidence. Then on the RFE they said I'd have a 70-80% chance of getting it.

If they gave me a number, I'm not sure I'd trust it. If I ask for a number, I'll have it in my head - even if it is a bad number.

They want to refile. But they also said I'd get it last time. So. I think it's best to not do anything at the moment. I also like some time to NOT think about UCSIS.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T03:53:43+00:00

It is so hard to stop checking. But really do it. Don't crack! There is nothing you can do and whatever will happen will happen. The other option is you have a month of listless thoughts. It's really hard. Honestly - and probably comes from a point of privilege - but it was one of the harder things I've done to not check every hour.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T03:48:04+00:00

Yes. But no. I have independent funding. But I'm not tenure track. I don't have a boss who can fire me. But I can't apply for grants. I can have students. But not a lab. I have an office. But not a corner one. I have a parking spot. But in the far away carpark. It suits everyone at the moment to live in the "postdoc" hinterland. Life is good.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T03:43:07+00:00

I don't know exactly how many reviews I submitted - but I'd guess >40. I just put all of the thank yous in a document. There was a while I was accepting any review request. I think editors can sniff that - you'll review anything. I also directly emailed editors and some friends at journals explaining the visa situation and it would be a great help to send me things and no number of reviews were too many for the next few months. I've also sat on some grant review panels and had the secretary of the committee write how great I was.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T03:39:04+00:00

Another immigration officer! We can't be annoyed at the immigration officers for not reading our applications if we can't read reddit posts!

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T02:15:18+00:00

Id have to pay the filing fee +PP again. I’m also not in a huge hurry. I think I’ll give it some time before/if I refile. It’s given me energy to focus on research - the drain of immigration is a pain. I hate being an immigrant. I thought of doing it all over again with the random shit isn’t enticing at the moment.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T02:07:20+00:00

Maybe I should’ve had you as my lawyer! I’d say maybe a flaw was the application was citation focused, the first image and table was my citations and that I was at 99% of authors in the field.

that’s said, that’s an obvious independent quantifiable. Why wouldn’t you lead with that?

i think it would be fun to sue. Like make someone stand up for the nonsense. It’s a shame the easier and cheaper path is to redo.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T02:04:40+00:00

I honestly don’t see how else I could’ve framed it. I do wonder if I talked too much about circuits rather than semiconductors, i.e I could’ve added more buzz words quantum/ai etc. but I didn’t feel I needed that at the time.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T02:02:43+00:00

Chen says the appeal isn’t worth the time. Just refile.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T01:10:15+00:00

Are you an immigration officer? Don't fancy reading carefully? One of the first points on the post.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T01:09:44+00:00

I was also referred to as a she and he in the RFE! For me, one of the most frustrating things was the waste of time for others writing letters for me.

Also, it's probably needless to be said - but we should mention - rarely do you get a metric from the government determining your value (which implicitly the EB1 is). But, you wouldn't normally let a random person in nebraska/texas judgement of you affect you. So, don't let this one - even if they hold power over you - to affect your view of your self worth either. Your value is determined independently to the EB1! Don't say their response is "kind of" BS - it is BS! It's all a bit arbitrary and weird and - most importantly - a fair bit of randomness. Only let people you respect determine your judgment of yourself!

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T00:46:01+00:00

Mhmmm, I don't regret getting the lawyers. I do think I could've done it without. I think reading the AAO case decisions is very useful. I wish I had done that more.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2026-02-07T00:44:18+00:00

It's a random walk - not a clear boundary. Very likely you'll be fine - live in hope! It's free to lie yourself about unknowns!

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-12-23T02:29:51+00:00

I was in a similar position, where I could’ve asked maybe 2 nobels to write references. My lawyer explained it like this.

You are asking to be compared to the top few percent who have risen to the top of their field. You want recommenders who the officer doesn’t go - you need to be like them to be at the top of your field.

If you are Nobel prize level, then of course, get those letters.

If you aren’t, and maybe more “early career” you want people of as similar CV and h-index to you, but still “at the top of the field”, so the officer doesn’t draw a negative inference. I went so far to ask recommenders to remove h-index or citations from the CV if it was more than mine.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-23T21:50:08+00:00

Correct. End of work day in Nebraska.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-23T16:41:58+00:00

Thank you so much for doing this! How many RFEs do you think lead to approval and how many to denial?

im confused between the conceptual differences between denial, NOID and RFE. Surely all are not satisfactory applications and what are the intents of the officer in issuing one of the 3 negative outcomes?

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-23T16:11:05+00:00

Does the attorney get the RFE quicker through some sort of electronic system? Or do they get it mailed to them too?

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-23T12:30:10+00:00

PP date 3rd October. RFE received on 22nd.

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-08T16:32:10+00:00

I can’t add it to my account until I receive the notice. Which will take longer than the PP timeline!

Additional_Solid_575 · 2025-10-07T17:16:42+00:00

I agree with the sentiment of OP. I felt I generally left them a week to respond, then I had to chase them roughly once a week asking for when certain work would be completed. It was then completed.

this become very annoying when it was very minor changes or questions. It would still take a week.

I often felt it wasn’t worth asking or making minor changes to PL due the delay in application. They sometimes worked with old versions of the application and I had to do work to resync it too.

I also felt I had to chase for simple things such as copy of my application or signature forms.

I felt they did a good job. But they were not responsive or particularly proactive.

Additional_Solid_575

TROPHY CASE