Last updated: November 2026. Checked against the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 5 (current as of October 23, 2026), USCIS’s EB-2 filing tips and Matter of Dhanasar.
How to write proposed endeavor for EB2 NIW petitions: start with one rule from the USCIS Policy Manual: the endeavor “is more specific than the general occupation.” A strong statement names the specific work you will do, the area and goals, how the work gets done (“at a particular employer or some other way”), and its “potential direct impacts” beyond one employer. You then back every claim with an exhibit and make sure the same endeavor runs through prongs 2 and 3. This guide is the step-by-step method. For finished samples by profession, see our companion page of EB2 NIW proposed endeavor examples.
Key takeaways
- Write the endeavor from your evidence, not toward it. Every sentence has to be something an exhibit can support.
- Describe both your occupation and your endeavor. USCIS asks for both “in a straightforward manner.”
- National importance is judged on “the specific endeavor proposed,” not on how important your field is.
- Use only statistics you can source and attach. An uncited headline number weakens the statement.
- Get it right before filing. RFEs “are not issued to ‘cure’ an eligibility deficiency.”
What a proposed endeavor is, and what it is not
A proposed endeavor is the specific work you will carry out in the United States. It is not your job title, your field or your career history. The Policy Manual asks petitioners to give “details not only as to what the occupation normally involves, but what types of work the person proposes to undertake specifically within that occupation.” It also says the officer’s analysis “focuses on what the person will be doing rather than the specific job title or occupational classification.”
| Element | Occupation (not enough) | Endeavor (what USCIS asks for) |
|---|---|---|
| What | “Data engineer” | The specific projects and goals you will pursue |
| Where | “In the technology sector” | The defined area or subfield of the work |
| How | Not stated | Through a named employer, your own company, research or “some other way” |
| Who benefits | “My employer and its clients” | Broader implications “for a field, a region, or the public at large” |
Where the proposed endeavor fits in the three prongs
Under Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016), there are three prongs, and substantial merit and national importance are two parts of the first one. Older guides, including an earlier version of this page, numbered them differently. The endeavor statement is the anchor for all three.
| Prong | What your statement must make possible | Evidence that has to back it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Substantial merit and national importance | A clear, specific endeavor with direct impacts beyond one employer | Official reports, adoption or licensing interest, letters from relevant experts or agencies |
| 2. Well positioned to advance it | An endeavor that matches your record, plan and progress | Degrees, projects, patents, contracts, interest from users or investors |
| 3. On balance, waiver benefits the U.S. | A reason the labor certification process is a poor fit, or why the benefit or urgency outweighs it | Evidence of impracticality, benefit “even if other U.S. workers were available,” or urgency |
For a fuller overview of the framework, see our guide to the three prongs of EB-2 NIW.
How to write proposed endeavor for EB2 NIW in 7 steps
Step 1: Inventory your evidence first
List your projects, measurable results, patents, contracts, adoption of your work by others, letters you can realistically obtain, and any steps already taken toward the plan. The Policy Manual warns that “unsubstantiated claims would not meet the petitioner’s burden of proof.” If you cannot name the exhibit behind a claim, leave the claim out or narrow it.
Step 2: Name the occupation, and check it is a profession
The Policy Manual says “the petitioner must clearly describe in a straightforward manner the person’s occupation and proposed endeavor.” For advanced degree professionals, the occupation through which you advance the endeavor “must meet the definition of a profession.” A bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent must be the minimum requirement for entry. An endeavor that drifts into a non-professional occupation can fail before the NIW analysis even starts.
Step 3: Write the one-sentence endeavor
A useful shape is: “I will [specific activity] in [defined area] to [specific goal], through [employer, own company or other vehicle], so that [beneficiaries beyond my employer] can [direct impact].” Keep it to one endeavor. In Dhanasar, the petitioner’s research had national importance but his teaching activities did not. Bundling unrelated goals splits your evidence.
Step 4: Describe the problem with sourced facts
Explain the problem your work addresses, using government or peer-reviewed sources you attach as exhibits. Cite the figure, the source and the exhibit number together. Do not borrow numbers from blogs or marketing material. Remember that the field’s importance is context only. In the Policy Manual’s teaching example, citing “the general importance of the profession” “would not alone be sufficient.”
Step 5: Spell out the direct impacts beyond your employer
“Benefits to a specific employer alone, even an employer with a national footprint, are not sufficiently relevant.” Show who else gains. For technology work, the Policy Manual points to “widespread interest in adoption or licensing,” “a novel and important manufacturing or operational process,” or impact on “the development of similar technology by other companies.” Officers “focus on the nature of the proposed endeavor, rather than only the geographic breadth,” so a regional endeavor can still qualify. Our guide on EB2 NIW national importance covers the evidence in depth.
Step 6: Tie the endeavor to your record (prong 2)
The endeavor you call important must be one you are positioned to deliver. USCIS weighs your “education, skills, knowledge, and record of success,” a detailed plan, “any progress towards achieving the proposed endeavor,” and interest from “potential customers, users, investors.” Write the endeavor so each of these has an obvious exhibit. See our guide on being well positioned to advance the endeavor.
Step 7: Make the prong 3 case
Prong 3 does not ask whether U.S. workers could replace you. The Policy Manual lists factors such as whether a labor certification would be “impractical,” the benefit of your contributions “even if other U.S. workers were also available,” and whether the interest is “sufficiently urgent.” It also notes that “evidence of a national labor shortage in the person’s occupation would not, by itself, satisfy this third prong.” Draw these points from the same endeavor. Do not introduce a new one.
Drafted a statement and want to know whether it reads as an endeavor or a job description? Send it with your CV through our free EB-2 NIW profile evaluation.
A worked example, built step by step (hypothetical)
The example below is hypothetical. It is not a real client and not a template to copy. It reworks the grid example from earlier versions of this guide. Bracketed items stand for details and exhibits a real petition would have to supply.
| Step | Draft text (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
| Occupation | “I am a software engineer specializing in distributed energy systems.” |
| Endeavor sentence | “I will develop and pilot open-specification software that uses distributed-ledger smart contracts to coordinate rooftop solar and battery dispatch in community microgrids, working with [utility] and publishing the interface so other utilities can adopt it.” |
| Problem | “[Sourced figure on outage frequency or duration from an official energy-agency report, Exhibit X] shows that…” |
| Direct impacts | “Utilities beyond [utility] could use the published interface to [specific impact], documented by letters of interest from [entities], Exhibit Y.” |
| Prong 2 link | “I designed [system] at [company], now used by [number] sites (Exhibit Z), and have completed [pilot step].” |
| Prong 3 link | “The work depends on [specific combination of skills] that a labor certification for one employer’s position would not capture, and the pilot timeline is [time-sensitive reason].” |
Two changes from the old version matter. The uncited “$150 billion” outage statistic is gone, because no source was given for it. And the qualifications sentence now points to exhibits instead of general claims of expertise.
Structure and order of an EB2 NIW proposed endeavor statement
USCIS sets no length or format. It asks for “a detailed description explaining the proposed endeavor and supporting documentary evidence.” Its EB-2 filing tips address each issue “in the order USCIS follows when adjudicating” and say that a petition organized that way “should assist adjudicators.” A practical order is:
- Summary: occupation and the one-sentence endeavor.
- The problem: sourced facts, with exhibit numbers.
- The work: projects, methods, milestones, and the vehicle (employer, company or other).
- Direct impacts: who benefits beyond your employer, and how you know.
- Your record: past results that show you can deliver this specific endeavor.
- Plan and progress: next steps, resources and support already secured.
Keep your CV, recommendation letters and any business plan consistent with this wording. The Policy Manual says business plans, “while useful in explaining the person’s objectives, should be supported by other independent evidence.”
Mistakes to avoid when you write a proposed endeavor for EB2 NIW
- A job description in disguise. Listing duties instead of projects and goals.
- The field doing the work. “AI is important” or “infrastructure is critical” is context, not your endeavor.
- A shortage argument. Working in a shortage occupation “alone, is also insufficient.”
- Numbers without sources. Job-creation, savings or market figures need a documented basis.
- Planning to fix it in an RFE. Under the Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part E, Chapter 6, you must be eligible “at the time of filing.” Since PA-2026-05 (August 5, 2026), USCIS may deny without an RFE when required initial evidence is missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a proposed endeavor statement be?
USCIS sets no length. It asks for a “detailed description” written “in a straightforward manner.” Clarity and evidence matter more than page count.
Can I change my proposed endeavor after filing?
Treat the endeavor in your filing as the one USCIS will judge. Eligibility must exist when you file, and an RFE response cannot cure a deficiency that existed at filing. For complex situations, consult a licensed immigration attorney.
Do I need a business plan?
Not always. A “plan describing how the person intends to continue the proposed work” is one type of evidence USCIS lists. Entrepreneurs usually need more detail. Any plan “should be supported by other independent evidence.”
Must my endeavor name a U.S. employer?
No. You explain whether the work will be furthered through “a particular employer or some other way,” such as your own company or research. Self-petitioners do not need a job offer.
Can Skycap write my proposed endeavor?
Yes, as part of our complete I-140 petition package. We draft it from your own record and check it against your evidence for all three prongs. Skycap is a petition-preparation consultancy, not a law firm, and does not give legal advice.
Want your endeavor checked against your actual evidence before you file? Start with our free profile evaluation.
Related guides
- EB2 NIW proposed endeavor examples by profession
- EB2 NIW national importance: how to prove prong 1
- EB2 NIW well positioned: how to prove prong 2
This article is general information, not legal advice. Skycap Consultancy is a petition-preparation consultancy, not a law firm. Requirements and fees change; check the linked USCIS pages before filing.
