Curran & Berger

Documents & Information to send to Curran & Berger to Prepare Your I-140 Petition for Permanent Residence (Outstanding Researcher, National Interest Waiver, Extraordinary Ability or Exceptional Ability)

This checklist does not address the question of whether it is advisable to file the I-140 Petition, but is intended for current clients who have been referred to this list by Curran & Berger staff.

This is a comprehensive list of everything Curran & Berger will need to begin work.  We realize you may have sent us some of this information already.  In that case, you do not need to send it again. If certain items are difficult or impossible to get, send us as much as you have.

The filing fee due to the Department of Homeland Security is $475 for the I-140 per petition.  For clients of Curran & Berger, the filing fees are due in full before the date of filing.

Please scan and email, or copy and send by mail.  Faxes tend to be hard to read.  If you have already sent us some of this information you do not need to send it again.  If you have questions about any of the requested documentation, please include a note with the information you do send.

• Clear, high-quality, color copy of biographic information page of passport;
• Copy of your most recent white I-94 entry card received upon entry to the U.S. On a separate piece of paper, please write your most recent place of entry into the U.S.;
• PLEASE NOTE: If you last entered the U.S. through Canada or Mexico and did not receive a new I-94 card, please send the date and place of your most recent entry.  
• Copies of DS-2019s or IAP-66s (issued if you were ever in J-1 status), I-612 J waiver approval notices,
• Copy of your birth certificate;
• PLEASE NOTE: Your birth certificate must include your name, date and place of birth, and the names of both your mother and father.
• Copy of your marriage certificate, if applicable;
• Copies of birth certificates for all children, even if outside the U.S. or not applying with you

PLEASE NOTE: If a document is not in English, then a certified translation is required. Our firm can order a translation for you at an additional cost, or you can have your document translated and certified using a translation certification statement, signed and notarized.  The translation certification statement is attached to this email as a Word Document.  You may not translate your own documents, nor those of any family member.

• A short, non-technical description of your work or a research summary from a grant, fellowship, or job application;
• A brief definition of your field;
• Copies of the first pages of your published articles;
• Evidence of your work undergoing clinical trials or leading to patent applications;
• Copies of any peer reviews of your articles that are clearly positive (i.e., have good quotes);
• Copies of any articles (especially review articles) that cite or mention your work significantly;
• Citation search results on your work
• Information about any peer-reviewing you have done (e.g. emails requesting reviews, letters from editors noting service as reviewer);
• Copy of your highest diploma;
• Documentation of any awards or fellowships you have received, national or international in scope, showing how hard they are to get;
• Copies of abstracts from conference proceedings and brochures from conferences where you have chaired or presented.
• A list of references, with contact information, who are willing to contribute a letter to your petition. Please include at least six people, three of which are independent (i.e. people who you have never worked or collaborated with.) It is preferred that your references come from a variety of institutions, agencies or nonprofits. They can be from any country as long as they are qualified to comment on your work. If any of your references have written letters for you in the past year, please send us electronic copies.  

We prefer to talk to or email your references to get more details and their perspective on your work. With even a short phone conversation, we can draft a letter for them. If you have a reference who will not have time to talk to us, please give us the name of someone else (graduate student, post-doc, etc.,) who will have time to talk to us and give details for the reference letter.

• Please send us copies of reviews, playbills, etc. to show when and where your work has been displayed.

• A statement showing you have commanded a high salary in your field, if applicable;
• Copies of articles or press releases referring to you or your work;
• Press releases, publications, or articles about anything you have developed.