EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Mechanical Engineer from Mexico Mexico Mechanical Engineer Colombo & Hurd secured an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) green card for a mechanical engineer from Mexico whose work focuses on advanced automotive manufacturing. USCIS approved his EB-2 NIW petition without a Request for Evidence (RFE). After the Adjustment of Status (AOS) process, the client received his green card and is now a permanent resident of the United States. U.S. automakers are increasingly replacing traditional assembly lines with connected, data-driven plants. Sensors, AI tools, and digital simulation now help factories identify problems before they disrupt production, improve quality control, and reduce operating costs. With experience in mechanical engineering and automotive manufacturing, our client plans to apply these technologies to improve how U.S. automotive plants operate. His proposed endeavor in the United States is to improve efficiency, quality, and safety in the U.S. automotive industry by bringing connected sensors, AI tools, digital simulation, and risk management methods into U.S. auto plants. Senior Attorney Michelle Villagran guided the client through the AOS process to approval. Evaluate My Profile Client ProfileAn Engineer Who Turns New Technology Into Safer, More Efficient ProductionEB-2 NIW VisaOur client holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in business administration. With nearly three decades of experience in automotive manufacturing, he has held positions spanning engineering, quality, and plant leadership and guided manufacturers in meeting industry quality and safety standards. Among his most important achievements is having led the launch of more than 50 new automotive programs. Much of his career has focused on improving how automotive production facilities operate. As an engineering and quality manager at an automotive components company, he developed quality control systems, managed supplier audits, and introduced risk management frameworks that helped reduce costs. Later, at a manufacturing technology company, he worked to standardize production methods and led efforts to obtain international quality management certifications. He has also published research on managing risk in production settings. He is currently responsible of the design, construction and equipment of an electric vehicle assembly plant in the United States as its director of advanced manufacturing engineering. Building on this experience, he plans to establish his own company to help other U.S. automotive manufacturers adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and improve their production processes. The Challenge Showing That Plant-Level Engineering Work Carries National Importance Factories measure results in defect rates, downtime, and cost per unit. While these improvements can have a measurable impact on individual facilities, the challenge was demonstrating how the client’s proposed work could benefit the broader U.S. automotive manufacturing industry, beyond a single plant or employer. The petition also needed to show how his mechanical engineering and risk management work formed one single, consistent endeavor. Most of his results live inside company records and individual plant operations, so the petition needed outside voices to confirm what he had delivered. Strategic Approach Connecting Factory-Floor Results to Federal Manufacturing Priorities Colombo & Hurd’s legal team focused on demonstrating how the client’s work could benefit automotive manufacturers beyond a single facility. The petition tied the client’s endeavor to broader U.S. efforts to modernize domestic manufacturing, including the National Smart Manufacturing Strategic Plan, the National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing, White House actions on supply chains, and a Department of Energy funding package for automotive plants. The petition also cited Bureau of Labor Statistics projections that demand for mechanical engineers will grow much faster than average, along with USCIS guidance on STEM professionals. To document his professional achievements, the record documented his education, his published work, and his professional license. Letters of recommendation, including two letters from independent evaluators, from professionals in IT infrastructure, automotive supply, metallurgy, and investment services provided detailed accounts of his contributions. The letters confirmed a new manufacturing facility delivered on plan, quality systems that reduced costs, and risk frameworks that strengthened operations. The petition also included the client’s plan for future activities, which starts with a review of how each automotive company already manages risk. From there, he will build tailored risk strategies, add connected sensors and AI tools to the process, and train employees to spot and reduce risks on their own. The plan begins with his own company in a region designated for economic redevelopment and expands to other parts of the country. A letter of interest from a senior manufacturing executive at an electric vehicle company confirmed demand for this approach. The record showed that his mix of engineering, quality, and risk expertise is hard to match through the labor certification process. Strong demand for mechanical engineers made the case for the waiver even clearer. See If You QualifyGet Your Free EB-2 NIW Visa Profile Evaluation Evaluate My Profile The Result EB-2 NIW Green Card Approved USCIS approved the EB-2 NIW petition without an RFE, recognizing that the client’s work in advanced automotive manufacturing serves the national interest. Senior Attorney Michelle Villagran then guided the client through the AOS process. He secured his green card, and became a lawful permanent resident on October 10, 2026. As a permanent resident, the client can now continue leading advanced manufacturing engineering at the electric vehicle plant and move forward with his own company. He can bring these methods to manufacturers across the country, improving quality and safety well beyond a single facility. Case Overview Category Details Visa Classification EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) Nationality Mexico Professional Field Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Manufacturing Education Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering Request for Evidence (RFE) No Attorney Senior Attorney Michelle Villagran Final Outcome Green card approved (lawful permanent residency granted) Green Card Approval Date October 10, 2026 This case was handled by Senior Attorney Michelle Villagran 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.