Process and turnaround
What happens between sending me a case and receiving a signed expert opinion letter, how long each stage takes, and what I need from you.
How long it takes
Standard turnaround is 5–10 business days for the drafted letter, measured from receipt of complete materials, not from first contact. Expedited review in 2–3 business days is available where an RFE, NOID, or filing deadline requires it.
The initial assessment, meaning whether I think I can write a letter that helps, usually comes back within one business day of receiving your materials.
The five stages
| Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Initial review | You or your attorney send the petitioner's CV, the petition type, a case summary, and the evidence you plan to rely on. If there is a filing or response deadline, tell me in the first message. | Same or next business day for an initial response |
| Evidence assessment | I read the record and form a view on whether it supports a strong expert opinion, and where it is thin. This is where I tell you if I think a letter will not help, which is more useful to hear early than late. | 1-2 business days |
| Drafting | If the evidence supports an opinion, I prepare the letter: what the work was, why it was original, who adopted it, how it compares to the field, and the basis for my assessment. | 5–10 business days |
| Attorney coordination | I work with counsel so the letter addresses the right technical questions and stays clear of legal argument. One round of revision on technical accuracy and emphasis is normal and included. | Concurrent with drafting |
| Final delivery | The signed letter is delivered to the attorney or petitioner for inclusion in the filing, along with my CV for the record. | On completion |
What I review
Not every matter needs every item. Send what exists.
- CV or resume
- Petition summary or attorney memo
- Proposed endeavor statement, for EB-2 NIW matters
- Publications, citations, patents, or technical reports
- Product documentation, architecture notes, case studies, or technical summaries
- Evidence of adoption: customers, users, downloads, dependents, revenue impact
- Media coverage, awards, speaking, judging, or other recognition
- Open-source contributions, repositories, or technical artifacts
- Letters from employers, collaborators, or other experts
- The RFE or NOID document, where applicable
Fees and ethical standards
I charge for the time spent reviewing materials and preparing an honest expert opinion. Fees depend on petition type, volume of material, and timeline, and I quote before any work starts.
Payment is not contingent on the content of the letter or on the outcome of any petition. I do not sell praise, offer outcome-based or success-based pricing, or guarantee favorable opinions. If the evidence does not support a favorable expert opinion, I will say so, and I would rather tell you that in the first week than hand you a letter an adjudicator will discount.
What slows a matter down
- Incomplete materials - by a wide margin the most common cause. Partial records mean a second and third round of requests before assessment can even begin.
- An undefined endeavor - for EB-2 NIW, if the proposed endeavor is still being drafted, the technical evaluation cannot be written against it.
- Evidence that exists but is not gathered - adoption metrics, internal documentation, and attestations often exist and simply have not been collected.
- Late notice of a deadline - tell me the deadline in the first message, not after the assessment.
Frequently asked questions
▸ How long does an AI expert opinion letter take?
Standard turnaround is 5–10 business days for the drafted letter, measured from receipt of complete materials, not from first contact. Expedited review in 2–3 business days is available where an RFE, NOID, or filing deadline requires it. The initial assessment of whether I can help usually comes back within a business day of receiving the materials.
▸ What does turnaround measure from?
It measures from receipt of complete materials, not from first contact. The most common cause of delay is an incomplete record: a CV arrives but the evidence of adoption does not, or the proposed endeavor statement is still being drafted. Sending everything at once is the single biggest thing you can do to shorten the timeline.
▸ What materials do you need?
At minimum the CV, the petition type, and a case summary. Beyond that it depends on the category: publications and evidence of adoption for EB-1A and O-1A, the proposed endeavor statement for EB-2 NIW, the position description for H-1B, and the notice itself for an RFE or NOID response. The full list is on this page.
▸ How much does an expert opinion letter cost?
Fees depend on the petition type, the volume of material to review, and the timeline. Contact me with your case details and I will quote before any work starts. I charge for review time and preparation. Payment is never contingent on the content of the opinion or on the outcome of the petition, and I do not offer outcome-based or success-based pricing.
▸ Do you offer revisions?
One round of revision on technical accuracy, emphasis, and framing is normal and included, and I expect attorneys to have input on what the letter needs to address. What I will not do is revise an opinion to reach a conclusion the evidence does not support.
▸ What happens if you decline the matter?
I tell you why. Usually it is one of three things: the record does not support a favorable opinion, the subject matter sits outside my area of genuine expertise, or the deadline is not achievable. In the first case I will normally point to what evidence would change the assessment, which is often more useful than a weak letter.
Start a matter
Send the record and any deadline you are working to.