EB-2 NIW plans by field
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services applies one framework to every National Interest Waiver. Your field decides what the plan has to show.
Published November 4, 2026 · By VisaPlans team
Short answer
An EB-2 NIW plan documents a proposed endeavor against the three-prong framework from Matter of Dhanasar. The framework is the same in every field. The evidence is not. A software plan shows impact beyond one employer. A founder's plan backs market size, revenue growth and job creation with real numbers.
What does USCIS look at before the three prongs?
Since January 15, 2025, the USCIS Policy Manual states that a petitioner must first qualify for the EB-2 classification itself. That means an advanced degree, a bachelor's degree followed by 5 years of progressive experience in the specialty, or exceptional ability. Only then does USCIS turn to the National Interest Waiver.
Occupation and endeavor
The occupation is your profession. The endeavor is the specific work you propose inside it. In Matter of Dhanasar, the occupation was engineer. The endeavor was research and development on air and space propulsion systems.
The occupation has to be a profession
USCIS looks at what the occupation normally requires for entry, not at one person's degrees. Its own example: an engineer with a Ph.D. who plans to open a bakery may have difficulty, because baking does not typically require a bachelor's degree.
Plain language helps
USCIS notes that many NIW endeavors are highly technical and that describing them in a way an average person could understand is helpful. A good plan does that from the first page.
How does the plan change by field?
The three prongs stay the same. What changes is the evidence that carries each one. The table shows the usual plan format and where USCIS guidance puts the emphasis.
| Field | Usual plan format | What the plan documents in more depth |
|---|---|---|
| Software and AI | Business Plan or Personal Plan | Impact beyond one employer, such as adoption, licensing or use by others. USCIS names certain areas of artificial intelligence as an example of critical and emerging technology. |
| Healthcare | Usually a Personal Plan | Public health benefit, not the employer's revenue. Physicians have a separate physician NIW process in Chapter 6 of the Policy Manual. |
| Research and academia | Usually a Personal Plan | The research agenda and how others use the work. Research can show merit without a direct economic benefit, while classroom teaching without broader implications generally does not show national importance. |
| Engineering | Business Plan or Personal Plan | The specific projects, goals and area of engineering, not a list of an engineer's duties. |
| Startup founders | Business Plan | Market size and share, revenue growth and job creation with supporting evidence. Broad claims about job creation are not enough on their own. |
| Aviation | Usually a Personal Plan | A specific endeavor with broader impact. A national shortage in an occupation is not enough by itself. |
| Clean energy | Business Plan or Personal Plan | Contracts, licenses, grants or government interest that show the work matters beyond one company. |
| Biotech and life sciences | Business Plan or Personal Plan | Prospective public health benefits of the work, rather than profits for an employer. |
Our team confirms whether the Business Plan or the Personal Plan fits your endeavor when it reviews your intake.
What a business plan can and cannot do
USCIS guidance lists a plan for continuing the work in the United States as one type of supporting evidence. It also says business plans are useful for explaining objectives but should be supported by other independent evidence, such as letters, contracts, citations or investment.
A plan organizes your case. It does not replace the evidence behind it. Your immigration attorney decides how the plan fits into your petition.
Field guides
Each guide goes deeper on one field: the endeavor, the evidence officers typically look for and how the plan presents it. New guides are added here as they are published.
Where VisaPlans fits
VisaPlans prepares EB-2 NIW plans in two formats for $599 one time: a Business Plan for founders and a Personal Plan for professionals. Expert-trained AI writes the plan and a human specialist reviews every page. You receive editable Word and Excel files within 3 business days of confirmed information.
Questions, answered
Is there a list of qualifying fields for the NIW?
No. USCIS decides each petition case by case. The Policy Manual says merit can be shown in areas including business, entrepreneurship, science, technology, culture, health and education. Your immigration attorney can confirm what fits your case.
Is working in a shortage occupation enough for the NIW?
Not by itself. USCIS guidance says that working in an occupation with a national shortage is insufficient on its own to show national importance. The endeavor needs broader implications supported by evidence.
Does a degree alone show I am well positioned?
No. USCIS guidance says a degree in and of itself is not a sufficient basis for that finding. Officers look at your record, your plan, your progress and the interest others have shown in your work.
Which VisaPlans format fits a researcher who also runs a company?
It depends on where the endeavor lives. If it is the company, VisaPlans prepares a Business Plan. If it is your own research or practice, VisaPlans prepares a Personal Plan. Our team confirms the fit before your delivery clock starts.
Sources
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5, Advanced Degree or Exceptional Ability
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Policy Alert PA-2025-03, Second Preference Eligibility for National Interest Waiver Petitions (January 15, 2025)
- Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016)
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 6, Physician
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