EB-2 NIW Case Study: Approval for Economist from Colombia Colombia EconomistColombo & Hurd secured approval of an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petition for an economist from Colombia who specializes in financial management and regulatory compliance for small and medium-sized businesses. USCIS approved the petition following the firm’s response to a Request for Evidence (RFE). In sectors like construction and manufacturing, personal protective equipment is what keeps a worker from suffering a serious injury. Many small and medium-sized businesses operating in these industries lack the capital to buy the right equipment at a workable cost and struggle to keep up with federal workplace safety requirements. The client’s work addresses these two issues. He develops financial and compliance strategies designed to help smaller businesses manage protective equipment costs while meeting applicable safety requirements. Senior Attorney Jason Qiu led the petition. Evaluate My Profile Client ProfileFrom Government Regulator to Head of a Protective Equipment CompanyEB-2 NIW VisaOur client holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with a specialization in economic law and market regulation. He has worked for more than 20 years in the public sector at a national agency that oversees industry and commerce, where he advanced from administrative roles to specialized professional positions. He began in the agency’s financial area, working with budgeting, accounting, and internal procedures. He then moved into enforcement, where he investigated possible violations of competition rules and later conducted inspections and risk analyses in personal data protection. In 2019, the client brought his experience to the private sector and founded a personal protective equipment company, where his main responsibilities included negotiating with suppliers and setting pricing strategy. In the United States, the client intends to advance his proposed endeavor by providing financial and regulatory compliance advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses in the protective equipment sector, delivered through on-site assessments, training, and ongoing support. He plans to begin with pilot programs in a state with a high rate of workplace injuries and later extend to other states with the same profile, with a focus on small contractors and self-employed workers. The Challenge RFE: Proving National Reach Beyond the Sector When the case received an RFE, USCIS had already recognized the client’s qualification as an advanced degree professional, the substantial merit of the proposed endeavor, and the national importance of the sector itself. The RFE focused on whether the client’s specific proposed work produces an effect on a national scale. The legal team needed to demonstrate, with objective sources, where his method fits within federal safety priorities and how it will reach the businesses that need it most. Strategic Response Official Data, Federal Rules, and a Phased Plan The legal team cited the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showing 5,070 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2024, about one every 104 minutes. Objective metrics like this helped to show why the client’s work matters now in the businesses where protective equipment makes the difference. The response also pointed to two federal rules from 2023. The Department of Labor’s rule on properly fitting protective equipment and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s rule on tracking workplace injuries and illnesses both treat purchasing decisions and compliance data as tools for protecting workers. This is the field where the client’s method operates, and the record showed that, applied across many small businesses, it produces an effect throughout the sector. To show how the work reaches those businesses, the legal team submitted an updated plan of activities with defined phases, startup costs, and documented financial resources, along with updated letters of recommendation. The plan details the pilot program in a high-risk state, the on-site assessments and training, and the expansion to other states with the same profile. The Result EB-2 NIW Approval Following the RFE Response USCIS approved the EB-2 NIW petition following the RFE response. Once he obtains permanent residency, the client will be able to launch the first pilot program and bring small businesses what many cannot sustain on their own: organized finances and safety compliance kept up to date. Case Overview Category Details Visa Classification EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) Nationality Colombia Professional Field Economics and Financial Management Education Bachelor’s degree in Economics; specialization in economic law and market regulation Request for Evidence (RFE) Yes Attorney Senior Attorney Jason Qiu Outcome I-140 petition approved Date of Approval September 27, 2026 Attorney’s Perspective Jason QiuSenior AttorneyRead More Small businesses in the protective equipment sector carry the same safety obligations as large employers, with a fraction of the resources. The client spent years inspecting companies and then years running one. This approval validated the importance of the client’s work and his ability to advance it in the U.S. Evaluate My Profile This case was handled by Senior Attorney Jason Qiu 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.