✅ Green Card: approval
A story of obtaining a green card through EB-1A as a software developer, including the filing process and waiting for the result.
Case details
Decision: 75 days after filing
Attorney: Victoria Ledeneva
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✓Award
A patent with a mention and an award to the company
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✓Salary
2-NDFL (2ндфл) and salary statistics
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✓Articles
17 articles, including academic and online resources
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✓Media
13 mentions, including interviews and comments
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✓Judging
18 judging engagements with contracts and certificates
How it went
Well, it’s finally my turn to write this post…
#Success #Approval eb1a #I485 it #Greencard
Today I received my long-awaited green card! 
I didn’t write a success story right after the I-140 approval because I consider the completion to be the final result =)
My attorney was Victoria Ledeneva, my specialization is software development for Apple. We filed 8 out of 10 criteria; on the 10th day of review the approval came without an RFE (Request for Evidence), so it’s hard to say exactly what counted and what didn’t) We filed in Texas.
Although I mainly worked with the attorney, I want to express huge gratitude to Egor (@e_akimov) for his invaluable help, and also thank other members of this chat for creating such a great community with a comprehensive knowledge base! And a special thanks to @dmitry_brazhenko! Sorry if I missed anyone, I can’t remember everyone 
We filed everything domestically. My status at the time of filing was O-1. I got the O-1 back then through Aronova.
For me the hardest part was waiting for the I-485 result — the waiting time is completely unregulated. It could be a month, or it could be a year. Plus there was a problem where my address in the USCIS system somehow had no apartment number 
(apparently my address was too long and the rest didn’t fit). Because of that I didn’t receive letters about an RFE (birth certificate) + I didn’t receive the appointment letter for biometrics, which I almost missed. Luckily my attorney received copies of those letters, I attended on time, and we responded to the RFE.
I also read Reddit about the complications people face when filing the I-485, which added more stress 
In the end the approval came on the 75th day after filing! (and 45 days from the date they received biometrics). According to my attorney — very fast. Those were the longest 75 days of my life… Although I know one family whose AOS (adjustment of status) process took 6 months from the date biometrics were submitted. Apparently if you file alone — things go much faster.
I don’t regret working with an attorney at all, since we filed during a “transition” period when form versions and fees were changing. I noticed many people had problems with case returns, losses, checks with wrong amounts, outdated forms… in short, my attorney handled the whole process and submitted everything without any issues.
What I filed under the criteria:
- Award. This is a patent I authored that received a mention and an award (the mention and award were not to me personally but to the company)
- Salary. I submitted 2-NDFL (2ндфл), salary statistics from job sites like hh.ru and superjob.ru. I used the salary criterion based on my previous employers, not the one on my O-1
- Articles. Pretty straightforward: 17 articles, about 5 of them academic (VAK). The rest were on online resources like Hackernoon, vc.ru, etc.
- Media. 13 items. About 4 of them were interviews — the rest were professional comments in various publications + a segment featuring me on Channel One
- Judging. 18 items. I attached contracts and certificates showing that I was paid for “…”
Key insight
“Working with an attorney can significantly ease the filing process, especially during transition periods with changing forms and fees.”
David (@davidgg)
Not specified
I-140 filing
75 days after filing
I-485 approval
Story author
David (@davidgg), from the chat @talentvisahelp. Original message in the chat.
Useful resources
All information about O-1 / EB-1A / EB-2 NIW
More success and denial stories: channel @o1eb1