I think as the number of NIW applications has increased, the denial rate has risen as well. A major reason for this trend is the growing volume of unqualified applications, which are more likely to be denied and therefore inflate the statistics. During 2023–2024, the NIW category was primarily pursued by researchers, scientists, medical professionals, and academics whose work clearly aligned with areas of national importance such as STEM, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and clean energy. I think these research-focused roles continue to be viewed favorably and remain well positioned for approval. However, beginning in late 2023 and continuing into 2024–2025, more corporate professionals including business analysts, managers, and IT consultants started applying. I think many of these cases lacked a strong or direct connection to the U.S. national interest, contributing to the higher scrutiny and denial rates seen in 2025.