EB-2 NIW Approval for a Brazilian Technology Professional Supporting Cybersecurity and Digital Systems for U.S. Small Businesses

The challenge in this case was twofold. The petitioner planned to support multiple SMEs, and he was still relatively early in his post-graduation career. That required a narrative grounded in outcomes rather than job titles. The petition needed to show how his work addresses well documented cybersecurity and digital infrastructure gaps, why small businesses are particularly exposed, and how strengthening their systems supports business continuity and workforce stability more broadly. 

Attorney Cordero and his team addressed this by clearly defining the national problem, identifying who benefits, and presenting a detailed plan that was easy to follow. 

“DevOps is in high demand in the United States,” Attorney Cordero said.  That point shaped how the petition was presented. The strategy stayed practical and tied to documented U.S. needs, especially cybersecurity risk and digital readiness gaps among small businesses. 

The petition strategy emphasized documented results and real-world impact. Recommendation letters focused on how the client’s work translated into measurable improvements across complex systems and operations. 

As described in the recommendation letters, during a major retail merger in 2024, the client served as a lead developer on a centralized delivery system that aligned warehouse and delivery operations through integrated vendor platforms. The letters also noted that he improved deployment processes by implementing automated pipelines, reducing deployment time by approximately 50 percent. In a separate project, he contributed to replacing a costly legacy platform with a new system projected to generate substantial annual savings. 

His cybersecurity-related contributions were similarly concrete. He centralized access management processes, reducing user update time by 80 percent, and led a technical debt reduction initiative across more than 50 applications, achieving a 72 percent reduction while modernizing systems and strengthening compliance. His proposed endeavor was laid out in plain terms. It explained how he would support multiple SMEs through risk assessments, security improvements, cloud-based systems, and automation. It also made room for the piece Cordero considered distinctive: training. “He was not only going to provide services,” he explained, “he was also going to train and educate companies, so they could become more self-sufficient.” 

USCIS approved the EB-2 National Interest Waiver petition without issuing a Request for Evidence. The case was filed with premium processing, and the approval was issued in about 45 days.

At the time of filing, the client was already working in the United States in H-1B status. Mr. Cordero noted that, given ongoing attention to H-1B policy changes, an I-140 through EB-2 NIW can offer professionals and employers a more stable long-term option that is not tied solely to employer sponsorship.

For professionals who may be at the beginning of their careers, Mr. Cordero offered a clear takeaway: “Many people assume they need a long work history before they can pursue a national interest case. What matters is meeting the EB-2 standard, either through an advanced degree like a master’s, or through a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive post baccalaureate experience and then presenting a clear plan that shows national importance.”

Read more at Colombo & Hurd’s H-1B to EB-2 NIW guide for practical insights.