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Case Stories
✅ EB-1A I-485 Approved - ROW (75-Country List) PD 2025-11
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✅ **Case Status: Approved**
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A biomedical engineer with a Ph.D. and postdoctoral background filed EB-1A with premium processing, received an RFE regarding peer review quality and research contributions, and ultimately had both I-140 and I-485 approved. The entire I-485 process from filing to approval took 88 days with no interview required. The applicant was from one of the 75 countries subject to the executive pause, adding significant uncertainty to the process.
An EB-1A applicant with a strong research profile in biomedical engineering successfully navigated the full green card process, including an I-140 RFE and I-485 adjudication. The I-140 was filed with premium processing in July 2025, an RFE was received in August 2025 requesting documentation on peer review invitations and original research contributions, and the RFE response was submitted in October 2025. The I-140 was approved November 6, 2025. The I-485 was self-filed on December 12, 2025. Biometrics were completed January 5, 2026. Multiple silent updates occurred on March 9, 2026, and the case was approved March 10, 2026 — 88 days after I-485 filing. The applicant was from a country on the 75-country executive pause list, which added procedural uncertainty throughout the process.
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**[📎 View Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/USCIS/comments/1rq4k38/eb1a_i485_approved_row_75_country_88_days_no/)**
*Source: Reddit I-140 EB*
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*This post was automatically curated from online sources to share real case experiences with the community.*
This case demonstrates that EB-1A applicants from countries on the 75-country pause list are still being processed and approved. The 88-day I-485 timeline (filing to approval) with no interview is consistent with recent ROW EB-1A cases where visa numbers are immediately available. The RFE pattern here — requesting editor letters for peer review invitations and a future-focused research statement — reflects a known USCIS scrutiny trend for the peer review and original contributions criteria. Applicants facing similar RFEs should ensure their response directly addresses the specific criteria challenged, not just restates the original petition. The sequence of silent updates followed by FTA (fingerprint taken action) codes within a week of approval is a common approval signal pattern worth monitoring.