LNG and Power Generation Engineer
Colombo & Hurd secured approval of an EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) petition for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power generation engineer from Chile who specializes in the safe, efficient operation of LNG facilities. USCIS approved the petition after the firm responded to a Request for Evidence (RFE).
Liquefied natural gas plays a growing role in U.S. energy security, supplying natural gas to domestic markets and supporting exports abroad. LNG facilities depend on complex systems that must operate safely and reliably, making experienced engineers critical to maintaining plant performance, protecting workers, and reducing operational disruptions.
Our client has designed, commissioned, operated, and maintained LNG and power generation plants. His plan is to bring that experience to the U.S. through an independent consulting practice focused on improving the efficiency, safety, and environmental performance of LNG facilities.
Senior immigration attorney Nizar Kafrouni led the RFE response.
Client profile
From the Plant Floor to Operations Leadership
Our client is an electrical engineer with a Master’s in Business Administration and more than sixteen years of experience in LNG and power generation operations. His background combines technical engineering expertise with experience managing complex plant operations. He started on the plant floor as a shift supervisor and rose to operations superintendent at a major LNG terminal, gaining hands-on experience across the operation, maintenance, and management of LNG facilities.
As his career progressed, he built the kind of programs that make plants safer and cleaner: a competency assurance system that keeps staff trained to work safely, an operator training simulator, and efforts that cut emissions and gas flaring during LNG transfer. Colleagues in the field credit his work with improving operator safety, reducing environmental impact, and lowering maintenance costs.
He now plans to apply that experience in the United States through an independent consulting practice serving LNG facilities, with a focus on safer operations, greater efficiency, and stronger plant reliability.
The Challenge
Showing the National Value of One Engineer’s Work
The core question in this case was reach. Our client’s work is hands-on and specialized, so the petition needed to show that its benefits extend well beyond any single plant or client he might advise. The challenge was connecting his day-to-day expertise to something larger: the safety, efficiency, and security of the country’s LNG infrastructure as a whole.
When USCIS issued a Request for Evidence, it asked for a clearer picture of the proposed endeavor and its wider impact. In particular, the response needed to show how improvements made at individual LNG facilities could carry significance beyond a single plant or consulting engagement.
Strategic Response
Sharpening the Endeavor and Its National Importance
The main focus of the response was clarifying the endeavor itself and showing why it matters to the country, not just to the businesses the client would advise.
To show national importance, the response described the proposed endeavor in clear terms and connected it directly to U.S. energy priorities. It explained how safer, more efficient LNG operations support the reliability of the country’s energy supply, reaching well beyond any single facility. A detailed business plan explained the consulting practice the client intends to open in Texas and Louisiana, including the jobs it would create. A letter from a regional chamber of commerce spoke to the value his work would bring to the local community.
The response also documented why the client had the experience to carry out the proposed work. It pointed to specific passages in the existing letters of recommendation and paired them with new support. That included an independent assessment from a respected professional who had never worked with the client, along with a colleague’s account of how his contributions have benefited the wider field. A letter of interest from a U.S.-based party confirmed that there is a real demand for his services.
The Result
EB-2 NIW Petition Approved After the RFE Response
USCIS approved the EB-2 NIW petition after reviewing the firm’s response to the RFE.
With this approval, our client is now positioned to move his plans forward. Once permanent residency is obtained, he will be able to bring his LNG expertise to U.S. facilities through the consulting practice at the center of his proposed endeavor.