AI Expert Opinion Letters for U.S. Immigration Petitions
I provide independent expert opinion letters for AI professionals in EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, O-1, and H-1B matters, and for RFE and NOID responses. I have prepared 20+ of them. I write a letter only when the evidence supports it.
What I do, in one paragraph
I read a petitioner's technical record and write an independent evaluation of it: what they built, why it was original, who adopted it, how it compares to the state of the field, and why I am qualified to say so. That evaluation goes into a petition your immigration attorney builds and argues. In most matters I start from a draft letter that counsel or the petitioner has prepared, and I can also write the letter from scratch when needed. I am not a lawyer, I do not give legal advice, and I do not guarantee outcomes.
How the process works
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Initial review | You or your attorney provide the materials, petition context, the type of letter needed, and any draft letter already prepared. |
| 2. Evidence assessment | I review the record to understand the contributions, field context, and available evidence. |
| 3. Draft review, or drafting | In most matters I review a draft letter prepared by counsel or the petitioner and revise it until it states only what I can stand behind. Where no draft exists, I prepare the letter myself. Typically 5–10 business days. |
| 4. Final delivery | The signed letter is delivered for review and use in the matter. |
Full detail, including what slows a matter down, on the process and turnaround page.
Petition types
| Category | What it is |
|---|---|
| EB-1A | Extraordinary Ability. Green card, self-petition, at least 3 of 10 criteria plus a final merits determination. |
| EB-2 NIW | National Interest Waiver. Green card, self-petition, three Dhanasar prongs on the proposed endeavor. |
| O-1A | Temporary work classification tied to a U.S. role. At least 3 of 8 criteria. |
| H-1B | Specialty occupation. Technical evaluation of what an AI role actually requires. |
| RFE / NOID | Responses to Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny raising technical objections. |
Not sure which applies? Compare EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1 side by side.
Who this is for
- Immigration attorneys preparing EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, O-1, H-1B, or RFE/NOID matters in technical fields
- AI engineers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists
- AI researchers and applied AI professionals
- Technical founders and SaaS leaders
- Product leaders working on AI, automation, or enterprise AI systems
- Anyone whose case depends on explaining technical significance, originality, adoption, or industry impact to a non-specialist reader
Experience
20+ independent expert opinion letters for immigration matters in AI, machine learning, data science, software, automation, SaaS, and enterprise AI. Applicant affiliations at the time of expert review, with petition type:
| Applicant affiliation | Petition type |
|---|---|
| OpenAI | Confidential |
| Microsoft | EB-1A |
| Meta Platforms | EB-2 NIW |
| Amazon | O-1 |
| Salesforce | EB-1A |
| McKinsey & Company | EB-1A |
| Cisco Systems | EB-1A |
| Oracle | EB-1A |
| Snowflake | EB-1A |
| Datadog | O-1 |
| Dell Technologies | EB-2 NIW |
| Ripple Labs | EB-2 NIW |
| Fidelity Investments | EB-2 NIW |
| Navy Federal Credit Union | EB-1A |
| Peraton Enterprise Solutions | EB-1A |
Company names describe an applicant's current or prior affiliation at the time of expert review. They do not imply that the company requested, sponsored, reviewed, endorsed, approved, or participated in the expert opinion letter.
What a letter can address
- The applicant's AI, ML, data science, software, or automation contributions
- The originality and technical significance of the work
- Product, business, research, or industry impact
- Adoption by companies, users, customers, institutions, or open-source communities
- Evidence of critical roles, leadership, judging, publications, citations, patents, media, awards, or commercial impact
- The broader importance of the work to the AI field, U.S. industry, or national innovation priorities
- The applicant's qualifications and positioning to continue advancing a proposed endeavor
What I review
- CV or resume
- Petition summary or attorney memo
- Draft expert letter, where one has been prepared
- Proposed endeavor statement, for EB-2 NIW matters
- Publications, citations, patents, or technical reports
- Product documentation, case studies, or technical summaries
- Evidence of adoption: customers, users, downloads, dependents, revenue impact
- Media coverage, awards, speaking, judging, or recognition
- Open-source contributions, repositories, or technical artifacts
- Letters from employers, collaborators, or other experts
- RFE or NOID documents, where applicable
Ethical standards
I charge for my time reviewing materials and preparing an honest expert opinion. Payment is not contingent on the contents of the letter or the outcome of any immigration petition.
I do not sell praise, guarantee favorable opinions, or provide outcome-based letters. If the evidence does not support a favorable expert opinion, I will say so. I also decline matters that fall outside my genuine area of expertise, because an expert letter is worth only as much as the expertise behind it.
My background
- Founder and CEO of Node8, an applied AI consultancy working with companies from startups to public enterprises
- 15+ years leading AI products and teams at Intel, and across finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and enterprise SaaS
- Host of AI First, a community of hundreds of AI leaders from organizations including OpenAI, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon
- Industry advisor at Cornell Tech and Primary Venture Partners
- IEEE committee member
- MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Tel Aviv University), BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Technion)
AI fields covered
- artificial intelligence
- machine learning
- deep learning
- natural language processing
- computer vision
- data science
- AI strategy
- enterprise AI
- agentic AI
- automation
- SaaS
- AI infrastructure
Frequently asked questions
▸ What does an AI expert opinion letter do for a petition?
An AI expert opinion letter is an independent written evaluation by a recognized specialist in artificial intelligence, submitted as supporting evidence in a U.S. immigration petition. It explains what the petitioner built, why it was original, who adopted it, and how it compares to the state of the field, in terms an adjudicator who is not an AI practitioner can assess. It is distinct from a recommendation letter, which is written by someone who knows the petitioner personally.
▸ Which visa categories do you write expert letters for?
EB-1A (Extraordinary Ability), EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver), O-1A, H-1B specialty occupation matters, and responses to Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny. All in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and related technical fields.
▸ How do you charge for an expert opinion letter?
Fees depend on the petition type, the volume of material to review, and the timeline, and I quote before any work begins. I charge for review time and preparation. Payment is never contingent on the content of the opinion or the outcome of the petition, and I do not offer success-based or outcome-based pricing.
▸ What is the turnaround on an expert letter?
Standard turnaround is 5–10 business days, 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. My initial view on whether I can help usually comes back within one business day.
▸ Do you work directly with petitioners, or only through attorneys?
Both. I work with immigration attorneys on most matters and coordinate with counsel on what the letter needs to address. I also work directly with petitioners, though I recommend that anyone pursuing an employment-based petition retain a licensed immigration attorney, since I cannot advise on legal strategy or eligibility.
▸ Will you write a letter if the evidence is weak?
No. If the record does not support a favorable expert opinion, I say so before drafting rather than producing a letter an adjudicator will discount. Where I can, I will point to what evidence would change the assessment, which is usually more useful than a weak letter.
▸ Are your expert opinion letters independent?
Yes. I have no prior relationship with the petitioners I evaluate, and independence is the basis of the letter's value. Each letter reflects my genuine assessment of the materials reviewed, and states explicitly why I am qualified to evaluate that particular area of AI.
Legal disclaimer
Boaz Descalo is not an immigration law firm and does not provide legal advice. Expert opinion letters are technical and professional evaluations only, and should be used in coordination with a licensed immigration attorney.
Nothing on this page guarantees approval of any immigration petition, visa application, green card case, RFE response, or NOID response.
Request an expert opinion letter
Send the petitioner's CV, the petition type, a case summary, and any deadline you are working to.