250k+
Cases Filed by Manifest Lawyers*
Your U.S. immigration home base as a researcher.
One place to understand your options, learn from attorneys who file researcher cases daily, and take the next step. We build petitions around where you are in your career, not a generic checklist.
11+
Average years of experience per attorney*
Trusted Experienced Lawyers
Attorneys who know researcher cases.
Between them they cover the categories researchers actually file — EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW, and O-1A — including the RFE and NOID responses for when an adjudicator pushes back.
01
Elizabeth Mavec
Elizabeth's practice covers both sides of a petition — the compliance and regulatory obligations that fall on the petitioning employer, and the individual's own case. Her experience spans corporate and humanitarian immigration. University of Illinois Chicago. Admitted in Illinois and Arizona, an AILA member, and practices in English and Spanish.
02
Mayra Faz
Mayra's practice is talent-based employment immigration, with deep expertise in exactly the categories researchers file: EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW, and O-1A. Her caseloads have been writing-intensive by design — turning a complicated academic record into USCIS-ready evidence. Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Admitted in Texas since 2018.
03
Rami Lee
Rami has represented clients in hundreds of filings including PERM, H-1B, and NIW — three routes that recur in academic and research hiring. Her practice spans business, healthcare, and family immigration, and she advises companies on immigration compliance. University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D. Admitted in New Jersey since 2005, and an AILA member.
04
Natasha Chakraborty
Natasha specializes in employment-based immigration — EB-1, EB-2 NIW, and O-1 — the categories most researchers end up choosing between. A decade of high-volume caseloads across corporate practices, nonprofit legal services, and her own firm. American University Washington College of Law. Admitted in Washington DC since 2018.
05
Murty Gollakota
Murty has spent nearly two decades on EB-1A, EB-1B, O-1A, and O-1B petitions, and on the RFE and NOID responses that follow when a petition is challenged. Chicago-Kent College of Law. Admitted in Illinois and Colorado since 2006, an AILA member, and practices in English and Telugu.
06
Rachael Gilburd
Rachael works exclusively on EB-2 NIW and Exceptional Ability petitions, and has secured approvals for researchers across biomedical research and academia — including profiles that don't look conventional on paper. Willamette University School of Law. Admitted in New Mexico, and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
07
Charlee R. Black
Charlee's practice includes PERM labor certification and employment-based green cards — the employer-sponsored route — alongside nonimmigrant visas and immigration compliance. Named an “Associate to Watch” by Chambers USA for 2024–2025. Case Western Reserve University. Admitted in New Jersey and West Virginia, and an AILA member.
01
Elizabeth Mavec
Elizabeth's practice covers both sides of a petition — the compliance and regulatory obligations that fall on the petitioning employer, and the individual's own case. Her experience spans corporate and humanitarian immigration. University of Illinois Chicago. Admitted in Illinois and Arizona, an AILA member, and practices in English and Spanish.
02
Mayra Faz
Mayra's practice is talent-based employment immigration, with deep expertise in exactly the categories researchers file: EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-2 NIW, and O-1A. Her caseloads have been writing-intensive by design — turning a complicated academic record into USCIS-ready evidence. Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Admitted in Texas since 2018.
03
Rami Lee
Rami has represented clients in hundreds of filings including PERM, H-1B, and NIW — three routes that recur in academic and research hiring. Her practice spans business, healthcare, and family immigration, and she advises companies on immigration compliance. University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D. Admitted in New Jersey since 2005, and an AILA member.
04
Natasha Chakraborty
Natasha specializes in employment-based immigration — EB-1, EB-2 NIW, and O-1 — the categories most researchers end up choosing between. A decade of high-volume caseloads across corporate practices, nonprofit legal services, and her own firm. American University Washington College of Law. Admitted in Washington DC since 2018.
05
Murty Gollakota
Murty has spent nearly two decades on EB-1A, EB-1B, O-1A, and O-1B petitions, and on the RFE and NOID responses that follow when a petition is challenged. Chicago-Kent College of Law. Admitted in Illinois and Colorado since 2006, an AILA member, and practices in English and Telugu.
06
Rachael Gilburd
Rachael works exclusively on EB-2 NIW and Exceptional Ability petitions, and has secured approvals for researchers across biomedical research and academia — including profiles that don't look conventional on paper. Willamette University School of Law. Admitted in New Mexico, and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
07
Charlee R. Black
Charlee's practice includes PERM labor certification and employment-based green cards — the employer-sponsored route — alongside nonimmigrant visas and immigration compliance. Named an “Associate to Watch” by Chambers USA for 2024–2025. Case Western Reserve University. Admitted in New Jersey and West Virginia, and an AILA member.
/THE RESEARCH CAREER MAP
Where are you?
Academia and industry open different doors. Where you work changes which visas and Green Cards are realistically on the table.
Academia
Cap-exempt H-1B means no lottery, any time of year. J-1 is the common entry, with a home residency requirement to plan around. EB-1B is the employer-petitioned green card built for this — and tenure-track roles get Special Handling PERM, which is faster than the standard process.
Industry
O-1A is the common bridge into company and startup roles. H-1B usually means the cap and the lottery, unless your employer is cap-exempt by affiliation. EB-1B is possible, but only if your employer has a documented research department and three full-time researchers. Otherwise it's standard PERM, which is slow.
EB-1A and EB-2 NIW sit outside this split — self-petitions, no sponsor, equally open on either side.
We serve clients nationwide.
/GUIDES FOR RESEARCHERS
Understand the process before you file.
Plain-English guides grouped by topic. Start anywhere — the map above points you to the cluster that matches your stage.
Work
All employment and work visas for researchers.
J-1 Scholars & Waivers
Clearing the two-year home-residency requirement.
EB-1B — Outstanding Researcher
The employer-petitioned path that skips PERM.
EB-1A / EB-2 NIW
Self-petition on the strength of your record.
/EVENTS & WEBINARS
Watch our latest webinars.
Four sessions led by our attorneys — watch the full recordings anytime.
Webinar
Your Tenure Track to a Green Card: Immigration Pathways for Scholars
In this session, Manifest immigration attorney Elizabeth Mavec walks through the Green Card pathways most relevant to academics and researchers (including the EB-1A, EB-1B, and EB-2 NIW categories), and how to think about which one fits your career stage and institutional situation.
View event
Elizabeth Mavec
Elizabeth MavecWebinar
Your Work is Your Case: Turning Papers, Repos, and Launches into a Visa
In this session, Manifest immigration attorney Elizabeth Mavec walks through how the technical and research work AI professionals do maps onto extraordinary ability criteria — and what it takes to turn that work into a compelling petition.
View eventElizabeth Mavec
Elizabeth MavecWebinar
DHS Ends Duration of Status: What the Final Rule Means for International Students
The Department of Homeland Security has finalized a rule that ends Duration of Status (D/S) for international students and exchange visitors. After September 15, 2026, F and J visa holders will be admitted for the length of their program, capped at four years, plus a 30-day grace period.
Watch replay
Ana Gabriela Urizar
Ana Gabriela UrizarWebinar
EB-2 NIW in 2026: Who Qualifies and How to Build a Strong Petition
The EB-2 National Interest Waiver remains one of the most accessible self-petition Green Card options — but adjudication patterns are shifting, and what makes a petition compelling in 2026 is worth understanding clearly before you file. This webinar covers both who qualifies and how to build a case that holds up. In this session, Manifest immigration attorney and former USCIS officer Evan Law walks through the NIW standard in depth, with a focus on strategy and what's working in the current adjudication environment.
Watch replay
Evan J. Law
Evan J. Law/FEATURED CASE STUDIES
Researchers we helped stay and continue work in the U.S.
01
Professor couple approved through EB-1B.
Two professors at the same institution secured EB-1B approval and adjusted status together through employer-sponsored petitions, with no PERM required.
02
Statistical forecaster approved through EB-1A.
A quantitative researcher secured EB-1A approval after responding to an RFE on original contribution, using citation data and forecasting work.
01
Professor couple approved through EB-1B.
Two professors at the same institution secured EB-1B approval and adjusted status together through employer-sponsored petitions, with no PERM required.
02
Statistical forecaster approved through EB-1A.
A quantitative researcher secured EB-1A approval after responding to an RFE on original contribution, using citation data and forecasting work.
*Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
