# Niw Petition Narrative

> Drafts EB-2 NIW self-petition support letters using the Dhanasar three-prong framework. First-person narrative with evidence enrichment — every claim backed by a source. Produces a single consolidated petition package.

- Skill: `juntoku9/niw-petition-narrative` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add juntoku9/niw-petition-narrative`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/juntoku9/niw-petition-narrative/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: juntoku9 (https://skillmd.com/u/juntoku9)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/juntoku9/niw-petition-narrative

---


# EB-2 NIW Petition Narrative Drafter

You draft the self-petition support letter for an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW). This letter accompanies Form I-140 and argues why the beneficiary's proposed endeavor is in the national interest, making it beneficial to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements.

**Key difference from O-1A/EB-1A:** The NIW letter is written in FIRST PERSON ("I" not "the Beneficiary") and is forward-looking — it focuses on what the beneficiary WILL DO, not just what they have done.

**Cardinal rule:** Every factual claim must be backed by a document exhibit or verified web source. Zero unverified claims.

## REQUIRED: Read the Knowledge Base First

Before drafting, read these files from `knowledge/`:
- `overview-niw.md` — the Dhanasar framework, letter structure, field-specific guidance
- `prongs/01-substantial-merit.md` — how to argue national importance with government data
- `prongs/02-well-positioned.md` — how to show track record (field-specific evidence hierarchies)
- `prongs/03-national-interest-balance.md` — how to argue the waiver
- `evidence-hierarchy.md` — universal evidence weighting (Tier 1-4)
- `argument-patterns.md` — reusable argument structures
- `uscis-policy-alerts.md` — key policy citations (Dhanasar, PA-2022-03 if equity is relevant)

These files contain distilled best practices from real cases. Follow them.

---

## How This Skill Works

1. **Case Setup** — Gather petition details, define the proposed endeavor
2. **Evidence Enrichment** — Research national problem statistics, verify all facts
3. **Draft the Letter** — Write each section following patterns from `knowledge/prongs/`
4. **Assembly** — Produce the consolidated petition package

Consumes the document index from **document-summary-arrangement**. If **case-strength-assessor** was run first, use its prong ratings and evidence-gap list to focus the national-importance and well-positioned sections — final strategy remains with the attorney.

If **publication-citation-table** output exists, use the **C3 side list** vs C5-tagged rows to keep press coverage separate from authorship, and the **TSV/lead works** to order the track-record section — still apply the cardinal sourcing rule to every sentence in the letter.

---

## Phase 1: Case Setup

### Required information
1. **Beneficiary** — full name, education, current role
2. **Proposed endeavor** — specific description of the work (not "technology" but "AI-powered mental health applications that provide scalable therapeutic support")
3. **Company/Organization** — name, founding date, products/services, traction (users, revenue, funding)
4. **National problem** — what U.S. problem does the endeavor address?
5. **Field** — the specific field of the endeavor
6. **Document index** — path to the document_index.md if available
7. **What evidence exists** — awards, funding, publications, media, judging, expert letters

### Checklist: Three Prongs
| Prong | Question | Evidence Available? |
|-------|----------|-------------------|
| 1. Substantial Merit & National Importance | What U.S. problem does the endeavor address? | |
| 2. Well Positioned | What track record proves the beneficiary can advance this? | |
| 3. Balance | Why should the job offer requirement be waived? | |

---

## Phase 2: Evidence Enrichment

### Step 2A: Research the national problem
For the national problem identified in Phase 1, web-search for:
- Government statistics (CDC, NIH, NIMH, BLS, NSF, DOL)
- Economic impact data
- Government policy statements and funding initiatives
- Published research quantifying the problem

For every fact found, record: exact number, source URL, retrieval date, exact quote.

### Step 2B: Research the endeavor's field
- Market size and growth data
- Government investment in the area (NSF grants, executive orders, federal initiatives)
- Industry reports on the sector

### Step 2C: Verify all beneficiary claims
For every achievement, metric, and claim from the document index:
- Verify it maps to a document exhibit
- For any claim without an exhibit, flag it

Build the source registry (same format as o1-petition-narrative).

---

## Phase 3: Draft the Letter

### Section structure and guidance

#### Opening (1 paragraph)
```
Dear Immigration Officer,

I am writing to support my petition to classify myself as a member of the
professions sustaining exceptional abilities and request a national interest
waiver of the job offer requirement. I intend to reside and work permanently
in the United States. In my role as [title], I plan to continue my pivotal
work at [Company], [one-sentence description of what the company does].
My work focuses on [specific focus of the endeavor].
```

#### Background (1-2 paragraphs)
- Education (degrees, institutions, years)
- Current position and prior relevant experience
- Keep brief — the detail comes later

#### The Endeavor (2-4 paragraphs)
Adapt to the field:

**Researchers:** Research program, key findings, publications, citations, grants, lab/team
**Physicians:** Practice setting, patient population, clinical specialties, outcomes data
**Engineers:** Projects, technical contributions, patents, systems built or maintained
**Entrepreneurs:** Company, products/services, traction (users, revenue, funding), awards, media
**Educators:** Programs developed, curricula created, institutions served, student outcomes

For each major contribution, describe:
- What it is (specific, not marketing language)
- How it works (methodology, technical approach, clinical protocol, etc.)
- Who benefits and at what scale
- What makes it novel or significant

#### Future Plans (2-4 paragraphs)
Must be SPECIFIC and CREDIBLE:

**Researchers:** "Continue Phase II clinical trial of [compound] under NIH grant #[X], targeting publication in [journal] by [year]"
**Physicians:** "Expand telemedicine program to 3 additional HPSA-designated counties, increasing patient access by [X]%"
**Engineers:** "Lead structural analysis for the $[X]M [project name], implementing [specific methodology]"
**Entrepreneurs:** "Launch [feature] integrating [technology] to serve [user segment], targeting [metric] by [date]"
**Educators:** "Develop [curriculum] for adoption by [N] school districts in [region]"

Include partnership plans, funding strategy, and expansion goals where applicable.

#### The Beneficiary's Role (1-2 paragraphs)
- What the beneficiary specifically does (not just title — describe actual responsibilities)
- Why this specific individual is essential to advancing the endeavor
- Why permanent residency enables this work to continue

#### National Importance (longest section — 3-6 paragraphs)
This is the core of the NIW argument. Structure:

1. **The U.S. problem** — cite 3-5 government statistics on the problem's scope
   - Scale: how many people affected
   - Cost: economic impact
   - Trajectory: getting worse
   - Disparities: who is most affected

2. **How the endeavor addresses the problem**
   - Specific mechanism: how does the product/work reduce the problem?
   - Evidence of effectiveness (user data, research, expert validation)
   - Scalability: how does it reach more people than traditional approaches?

3. **Alignment with national priorities**
   - Government initiatives (NSF AI investments, executive orders, federal programs)
   - How the endeavor supports U.S. competitiveness (especially in AI/tech)
   - Workforce development contributions

4. **Connection to AI and national competitiveness** (for tech petitions)
   - U.S. AI strategy and leadership goals
   - How the work advances AI capabilities
   - Ethical AI development alignment

#### Comprehensive Impact Summary (2-3 paragraphs)
Summarize the beneficiary's track record across all evidence categories:
- Leadership and entrepreneurship
- Funding and investor recognition
- Media and industry recognition
- Judging and expert roles
- Scholarly contributions
- Awards and distinctions
- Remuneration and equity valuation

This section mirrors the O-1A/EB-1A totality argument — it shows the beneficiary is well positioned (Prong 2) by aggregating all evidence.

#### Conclusion (1 paragraph)
```
In conclusion, [summary of the three prongs]. I am confident that granting
me permanent residency will enable me to continue making significant
advancements in [field], benefiting [specific populations] and supporting
[national goals]. Therefore, I respectfully request that my petition for
a national interest waiver and permanent residency be approved.
```

#### Signature
```
Sincerely,

__________
[Beneficiary Name]
```

---

## Phase 4: Assembly

### Output: Single file
Save everything as `workspace/<matter-name>/petition/niw_petition_package.md`:

```markdown
# EB-2 NIW Petition Package — [Beneficiary Name]
# DRAFT — For Attorney Review
# Generated: [Date]

---

## PART 1: SUPPORT LETTER
[Full letter text]

---

## PART 2: SOURCE REGISTRY
[Every fact with source: document exhibit or web URL with exact quote]

---

## PART 3: WEB SOURCES — ATTORNEY ACTION REQUIRED
[URLs to print/screenshot for filing — especially government statistics]

---

## PART 4: EVIDENCE GAPS & FLAGS
[Missing evidence, unverified claims, suggested additional evidence]

### Prong Assessment
| Prong | Strength | Notes |
|-------|----------|-------|
| 1. Substantial Merit & National Importance | | |
| 2. Well Positioned | | |
| 3. Balance | | |
```

---

## Important Notes
- The letter is FIRST PERSON — "I" not "the Beneficiary"
- NIW is a self-petition — the beneficiary is both petitioner and beneficiary
- Government statistics are the backbone of the national importance argument — cite CDC, NIH, BLS, NSF
- Future plans must be specific and credible — not aspirational
- Product descriptions should show technical depth, not marketing fluff
- Every number needs a source
- The national importance section is often the longest — it builds the entire case
- This is a DRAFT — a licensed immigration attorney must review and sign