EB-2 NIW Case Study: Civil Engineer from Venezuela Approved in Two Months Without RFE Venezuela Civil EngineerColombo & Hurd secured approval of an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petition for a civil engineer from Venezuela who helps protect coastal buildings from corrosion and decay. USCIS approved the petition with Premium Processing in two months, without issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE). Buildings along America’s coastlines face constant exposure to salt, moisture, and marine air. These conditions gradually weaken concrete and steel, and the damage can begin long before it becomes visible. For municipalities, condominium associations, and the agencies that oversee them, catching that damage early has become one of the more urgent challenges in keeping coastal communities safe. That’s exactly the problem our client has spent his career solving. Over more than 24 years in civil engineering, he’s focused on finding structural weak points before they turn into real failures, and making sure the materials that go into repairs actually meet international standards. Now he’s bringing that same approach to the United States, where he plans to build inspection and rehabilitation programs for aging buildings along the coast. Partner and Immigration Attorney Sal Picataggio led the petition. Evaluate my Profile Client’s ProfileA Career Built on Structural Integrity in Corrosive Environments EB-2 NIW VisaOur client holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and has more than two decades of experience inspecting buildings, testing materials, and managing rehabilitation projects. Throughout his career, he has worked with an engineering consulting firm, a geotechnical services company, and a materials testing laboratory. His specialty is catching problems early. Using tools like ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and rebound hammer testing, he can spot cracks and weaknesses inside a structure long before they become visible, let alone dangerous. That skill matters most in coastal areas, where salt and moisture eat away at concrete and steel from the inside out. In the United States, he plans to use this technical experience to help property owners and public agencies identify structural deterioration, confirm the quality of construction materials, and develop appropriate rehabilitation plans for buildings in coastal areas. The Challenge Proving That Local Work Serves a National Interest Our client plans to inspect and rehabilitate aging buildings in South Florida, working with condominium associations, city governments, and state agencies. Although his initial plans are centered in South Florida, the risks he addresses are not limited to one region. Coastal communities across the United States face similar problems caused by salt exposure, moisture, aging construction, and the deterioration of concrete and steel. The petition therefore needed to document how his work could contribute to broader efforts to protect coastal infrastructure, improve building safety, and reduce avoidable property damage. Strategic Approach Connecting One Engineer’s Work to a Nationwide Problem Salt, moisture, and marine air wear down concrete and steel the same way in Texas, the Carolinas, and California as they do in Florida. The petition explained that the inspection methods, materials testing practices, and rehabilitation programs that our client plans to develop could be applied in other communities facing similar conditions. The legal team then tied that work to priorities the federal government has already named. Our client’s initiative advances the same goals as the National Flood Insurance Program, NOAA’s National Coastal Zone Management Program, FEMA’s Future Risk Index, and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. These federal programs are built around protecting coastal communities and their infrastructure from the very risks he works to prevent. Finally, the petition grounded the stakes in national numbers. Corrosion costs the world economy more than $3 trillion a year, and roughly $875 billion of that is considered preventable through the quality control and early intervention the client specializes in. FEMA’s projections show South Florida counties alone facing billions in annual coastal property damage by 2050, with Gulf Coast losses reaching far higher. Against figures like these, our client’s approach to preventing structural failure reads as a scalable, replicable contribution to a problem that significantly costs the country. The Result EB-2 NIW Approval Without an RFE USCIS approved the EB-2 NIW petition with Premium Processing, in two months and without issuing a Request for Evidence. With this approval, our client can move toward advancing his work in structural inspection, material quality control, and infrastructure rehabilitation in the United States. Case Overview Category Details Visa Classification EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) Nationality Venezuela Professional Field Civil Engineering Education Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Request for Evidence (RFE) No Premium Processing Yes (2 months and 5 days) Lead Attorney Sal Picataggio, Partner and Immigration Attorney Outcome I-140 Petition Approved Date of Approval June 22, 2026 EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Financial Researcher from Brazil E-2 Visa Case Study: Swedish Investor Approved After Purchasing a Florida Hair Salon EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Marketing Strategist from El Salvador EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Wildlife Conservation Scientist from Mexico O-1A Case Study: Visa Approval for Aerospace Engineer & Startup Founder from Taiwan EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Aerospace Engineer from Argentina EB-2 NIW Case Study: Civil Engineer from Venezuela Approved in Two Months Without RFE EB-2 NIW Case Study: Approval for an Agricultural Engineer from Colombia This case was handled by Partner and Immigration Attorney Sal Picataggio of Colombo & Hurd, a U.S. immigration law firm specializing in employment-based visas including EB-2 NIW and EB-1A petitions. The firm has secured over 10,000 successful visa and green card approvals for clients from more than 100 countries, including more than 2,500 approvals in EB-2 NIW and EB-1A categories since 2023.