Expert letters vs recommendation letters: the difference?

Community answers

The answers below are translated from the original Russian - the language of the community chats.

• For USCIS, it is critical to establish a personal connection between your name and achievements, so a personal letter evaluating your skills and contributions is stronger. Use an independent expert letter as a supplement.

• Expert letters are important, but they must be real and not bought: officers can recognize a letter written just for the sake of having a letter.

• I created an expert opinion letter based on the premise that confirmation of qualifications would not hurt: the officer is not a specialist in the case topic, and here it is a conclusion from someone with credentials.

• Expert letters are important, but it is crucial that they are real and not purchased.

• For USCIS, it is critical to establish a personal connection between your name and achievements. Therefore, a personal letter evaluating your skills, contributions, and significance is preferable, while a generic option can be used as a supplement.

The answers are anonymized community experience from the public chats, not legal advice. Officers may decide similar cases differently.

Sources

• USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2

  How the agency weighs evidence, letters included: specifics and the author's independence, not their verdict.

• 8 CFR 204.5 - the I-140 regulation

  The source text of the evidence requirements.

Related on this site

• Expert letters
• How many letters

Similar questions

• Do USCIS or consulates call recommenders?
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