Approved National Interest Waiver for Geochemist

The beneficiary holds a Ph.D in Geology from the University of Tokyo. He is currently working on post doctoral research at the University of California at Davis. His specialty is conducting water-rock interaction experiments in extreme temperature and pressure conditions.

The beneficiary self-petitioned, then retained our firm to respond to a request for evidence (RFE) applying the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) test. We argued that the intrinsic merit and national importance were established by the fact that his demonstrated laboratory skills benefits the United States by generating a wealth of geochemical data that can be used in solving some of the most compelling environmental and natural resource problems facing our nation.

The beneficiary was able to show that he played a significant role in the field of endeavor greater than other minimally qualified U.S. workers. We submitted nine separate letters from the worlds of academia, government and business describing how his unique laboratory skills contributed in the accumulation of data that was significant in identifying an additional fifteen million barrels of oil reserve in a particular rock formation. His current research is directed toward the goal of removing toxic metals and nuclear waste from groundwater.

The petition was approved.

(Courtesy of Douglas Lehrman)