Favorite NIW Approvals of 2024!
As the year comes to a close, the Colombo & Hurd team reflects on the numerous successes that have made 2024 truly remarkable. Among the firm’s many achievements, our hundreds of EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) approvals stand out as testaments to the outstanding achievements of our clients and the expertise of our attorneys.
In our latest Favorite Approvals feature, we talk with Colombo & Hurd Partner Salvatore “Sal” Picataggio’s team about one of their favorite NIW approvals from 2024, highlighting the unique strategy and important endeavor that made this case truly memorable.
Protecting Public Health: NIW Success Story in Promoting Infection Detection and Pandemic Prevention
In the face of emerging health threats, innovative solutions are crucial to protecting public health and preventing pandemics. This NIW success story showcases the exceptional contributions of a talented individual who has dedicated his career to advancing infection detection and pandemic prevention.
In this case, our client from Nigeria received NIW approval based on his proposed endeavor of helping the United States achieve a strong pandemic and outbreak preparedness by providing robust disease monitoring, surveillance, prevention, and control measures to prevent diseases in both humans and animals. Through his endeavor, our client plans to better the U.S. health system.
Our client has extensive experience as a veterinary doctor and farm manager, and in vaccinating animals and overseeing COVID-19 vaccination programs. What truly distinguished our client, however, was his groundbreaking approach to enhancing the U.S. public health system through innovative strategies for early infection detection and pandemic prevention. Colombo & Hurd Partner Salvatore “Sal” Picataggio recognized the significance of our client’s contributions and was eager to guide him through the NIW process.
Mr. Picataggio and his team acknowledged that the client’s proposal is extremely relevant for the U.S. health system, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the importance of proactive and comprehensive strategies to mitigate future health crises.
To demonstrate the substantial merit and national importance of our client’s work, we provided evidence showing that our client’s endeavor aligns with goals to detect outbreaks that reduce the lifespan of individuals and livestock and to safeguard Americans’ health through regular evaluations of disease surveillance systems. Through this evidence, we showed that the client is working in pursuit of important national and international public health goals.
Mr. Picataggio’s team shed light on the strategy behind this case: “After carefully reviewing his supporting evidence, memberships, publications, and academic credentials, we knew his case would make a difference on public health by improving current methods and reducing biological impact on future diseases not only for humans but animals too.”
Based on this successful strategy and due to the relevance of the client’s proposal for the U.S. health system, Mr. Picataggio and his team secured an approval in just 51 days using premium processing.
With this approval, our client will work with different non-governmental and governmental organizations in the U.S. to carry out his endeavor in public health. He will evaluate and strengthen disease surveillance systems to improve pandemic and outbreak preparedness in the United States, gathering and analyzing data from stakeholders on priority diseases that impact both humans and animals.
Our client’s remarkable NIW approval is a testament to our team’s dedication to highlighting his achievements in protecting public health. As he advances his career in the U.S., his work will have a lasting impact on public health and pandemic prevention, ultimately shaping a brighter future for American communities.
