Dr. William:

I am a post-doctor working on several U.S. defense related projects now. I want to apply for NIW by myself, but I do not have many published papers. Do you think this may a problem for the NIW application?

---

Answer:

If an applicant has impressive publication record, it does not necessary support assertions of U.S. National Interest claim. The applicant's U.S. National Interest claim and national/international recognition must be accompanied by corroborating evidence specifying what led the witness to that conclusion. 

The best judgment of your work's impact is not how many papers you have published, but how much attention those works have attracted, and they should be in U.S. National Interest.