Proposed Endeavor Strategy
How to craft a compelling future plan that satisfies the third Dhanasar prong and demonstrates the balance of interests favoring a labor certification waiver
The proposed endeavor—your concrete plan for what you will do in the United States—has become one of the most scrutinized elements of NIW petitions. USCIS increasingly denies petitions where the future plan is vague, generic, or disconnected from the national importance argument. Getting this right is critical.
A strong proposed endeavor is specific, measurable, and directly tied to demonstrated national importance. It answers not just "what will you do?" but "why you, why now, and why does the U.S. benefit from waiving the labor certification requirement to allow you to do it?"
What USCIS Requires
Under Matter of Dhanasar, the proposed endeavor must satisfy Prong 1 (substantial merit and national importance) and anchor Prong 3 (balance of interests). USCIS evaluates the proposed endeavor across several dimensions:
Specificity
The endeavor must be described with enough detail that an adjudicator can assess its national importance. Generic descriptions like "continue my research" or "grow my business" are insufficient.
Feasibility
USCIS evaluates whether the petitioner has the resources, access, and institutional support to realistically execute the proposed work. Ambitious but unsupported plans draw skepticism.
National Connection
The proposed endeavor must explicitly connect to the national importance argument. If your national importance claim is about healthcare access in rural areas, your proposed endeavor should describe specific plans for rural healthcare work—not general medical practice.
Continuity
USCIS looks for coherent continuity between past achievements and the proposed future work. A sudden pivot from your established record raises red flags.
Anatomy of a Winning Proposed Endeavor
Based on successful NIW petitions across professional fields, the most effective proposed endeavor statements share a consistent structure:
Clear Problem Statement
Identify the specific national challenge or opportunity your work addresses. This should map directly to documented national priorities, government publications, or recognized field needs—not just your personal research interests.
Defined Scope and Activities
Describe the specific activities you will undertake: particular research projects, business development milestones, clinical programs, or artistic initiatives. Name institutions, partners, or programs where possible.
Measurable Outcomes
Articulate specific, measurable outcomes you expect to achieve: publications in target journals, patent applications, revenue or job creation projections, clinical outcomes, exhibition venues, or policy influence. Numbers matter.
Timeline with Milestones
Provide a realistic timeline with identifiable milestones (6-month, 1-year, 3-year goals). This demonstrates serious planning and gives USCIS tangible benchmarks against which to evaluate your claim.
National Benefit Mechanism
Explicitly explain how the outputs of your proposed work will reach the national level—through publication, commercialization, policy influence, workforce training, or other dissemination mechanisms.
Field-Specific Examples
These illustrative examples demonstrate the level of specificity and national impact framing that USCIS expects in a proposed endeavor statement.
"I will continue my research on cancer biology and publish my findings in peer-reviewed journals."
"I will conduct a 3-year investigation of KRAS mutation resistance mechanisms in pancreatic cancer, targeting a phase 1 clinical trial within 24 months in collaboration with [Institution]. Findings will be submitted to Nature Medicine and Cancer Cell. This research directly addresses the NIH's Pancreatic Cancer Moonshot priority and may affect 64,000 new U.S. diagnoses annually."
"I will grow my startup and create jobs in the United States."
"I will expand [Company] from 3 to 25 full-time U.S. employees within 18 months, securing Series A funding ($5M target) to scale our AI-driven supply chain resilience platform. Our technology directly addresses Executive Order 14017's supply chain vulnerability mandate. Current revenue: $1.2M ARR; 12-month projection: $4.5M ARR with 3 signed federal contracts."
"I will perform concerts in the United States and teach music."
"I will establish a residency program at [National Institution] integrating Central Asian musical traditions into U.S. conservatory curricula, developing an original pedagogical framework to be published through [University Press]. I will perform at 12 U.S. institutions annually, including venues designated by the NEA as priority cultural access points, contributing to the State Department's cultural diplomacy objectives."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The "Continuation" Trap
Simply stating you will "continue your current research" without describing specific future projects, milestones, or national outcomes is one of the most frequently cited RFE grounds. The endeavor must be forward-looking and specific.
Disconnected from National Importance
A proposed endeavor that does not explicitly connect to the national importance argument creates a logical gap in your petition. Every element of your proposed work should visibly serve the national interest claim you have made.
Unsupported Ambitious Claims
Claiming massive impact without institutional backing, preliminary data, or existing resources undermines credibility. Ambitious projections must be grounded in demonstrated capability and existing support.
Changing Fields Without Explanation
Describing a proposed endeavor significantly different from your established record—without a compelling explanation and bridging evidence—invites USCIS to question whether you are actually "well-positioned" to advance it.
Connecting Endeavor to All Three Prongs
A well-constructed proposed endeavor statement does triple duty—simultaneously addressing all three Dhanasar prongs:
Substantial Merit & National Importance
Your description of what you will do and why it matters establishes that the endeavor has real-world significance and national-level implications.
Well-Positioned to Advance
Your specific milestones, named institutional partners, and resource commitments demonstrate that you—specifically—have the capacity to execute this plan.
Balance of Interests
The concrete national benefit outputs and the time-sensitivity or impracticality of employer-based sponsorship for your work make the case for waiving labor certification.
Related Resources
National Importance Explained →
Deep dive into how USCIS evaluates the national importance prong
NIW Legal Requirements →
Complete analysis of the Dhanasar three-prong framework
NIW Case Studies →
Real petition strategies showing proposed endeavor in action
NIW vs EB-1A vs O-1 →
Choose the right employment-based immigration pathway
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NIW Is Not About Past Achievements — It Is About Future Structure
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Can You Change Your Proposed Endeavor in an NIW RFE?
The legal boundary between reframing and material change — what you can and cannot do.