How NAASE was almost used in a green card scam

Information only. This is not legal advice.

NAASE occasionally gets immigration‑adjacent outreach. Last month, one member needed a membership confirmation for a business visa filing; we supplied it. That same week, an attorney asked who we are, who we serve, and how our membership works; once it was clear her client was in general sales, not sales engineering, we stopped there.

But this week came an unusual note. It read like a potential corporate partner asking about “group subscriptions”, “membership features integration”, and having benefits “highlighted within our members’ professional profiles.” The phrasing felt generic; there were no seat counts or timelines, and the follow-up replied to their own email thread rather than to us. We paused. Cache Labs, also known as Smart Green Card, turned out to be an immigration services outfit, not a sales engineering organization.

At that point, it looked like mass outreach aimed at many associations at once. That is where our exchange ended and our investigation began.

The pitch we received

The email used familiar partnership language, but the details did not add up. It asked us to outline costs, benefits, and steps for a one‑year “collaboration,” while describing a plan to enroll “multiple professionals” and to “integrate” NAASE membership into their users’ profiles. The value to sales engineers was unclear. The value to the sender was obvious. A recognizable association badge and a link on a Corporate Partners page can be displayed as social proof. We treat legitimate group memberships and sponsorships all the time. This did not feel like one. We stopped engaging and checked what open sources had to say.

What a quick check revealed

We googled the company name. On their site, they call themselves a “career elevation platform” with “EB‑1A profile building” and a “VIP plan,” while noting “we are not a law firm… please consult an immigration attorney.” On Reddit and other independent forums, multiple public posts describe paying “15K” to “35–40K” on “big promises,” then getting a Google Form, recorded videos, and a templated “strategy,” with refund difficulties. One wrote they felt “completely scammed… nothing useful to show for it.” Others mention so-called “predatory journals” and “fake paid awards,” and say some petitions were later revisited. A common refrain was “skip this service and consult a licensed immigration lawyer instead.”

What these vendors actually sell

NAASE does not have an immigration attorney on staff. We reviewed public guidance from established law firms, USCIS advisories, and long threads on professional forums. A consistent pattern emerged. There is a cottage industry around EB‑1A (extraordinary ability) that packages the optics of success. A storyline is drafted. Then a paper trail is assembled that looks like acclaim from a distance. Common ingredients include pay-to-enter awards, low-tier or predatory publications with reciprocal citations, ghostwritten interviews disguised as media features, quick “judge” roles for obscure contests, templated letters, and generic “membership integration” marketed as evidence. Offers are sold in neat bundles with CRM follow-ups and strict refund terms. It often reads like an assembly of credentials first, accomplishments second.

Five red flags repeatedly cited by attorneys and affected applicants

• Promises of approval or insider access
• Packages that sell awards, publications, or judging roles
• No licensed U.S. attorney shaping the strategy
• Pay first, vague scope, strict no‑refund terms
• Ghostwritten press or “membership integration” presented as immigration proof

But what is the risk?

According to what we reviewed in attorney advisories, USCIS materials, and first‑hand community reports, in the best case, you pay and get nothing. Worst case, those sources describe:

• Months lost while real options lapse
• Patterned evidence triggers Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and denials
• Misrepresentation findings and inadmissibility bars
• Approvals reopened and revoked after scrutiny
  

The latter is not abstract. On June 13–14, 2025, multiple Indian business outlets quoted U.S. immigration attorneys describing dozens of EB‑1A approvals under reinvestigation across the United States, with some revocations already issued. We found those reports while cross‑checking what community threads were describing.

When extraordinary ability is real

After sifting through the noise, we asked a simple question: is there anything here besides the hype? Yes. The extraordinary ability green card, called EB‑1A, is real, but it is earned. Strong cases show peer‑recognized impact: merit‑based awards from well‑regarded organizations, work adopted or cited by independent, reputable experts, invited talks at recognized conferences or venues, leadership or judging roles earned through selection by credible bodies, and letters from established authorities who can speak to concrete results. Start with a readiness check from a licensed immigration attorney. If you are not there yet, map a year of real achievements through your job and community, document results, and avoid pay‑to‑play. If EB‑1A is not the right fit now, consider EB‑2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) or employer sponsorship.

If you work for a supportive company, ask for practical help: time to present or publish, a speaking slot, and an introduction to a reputable immigration lawyer for a simple readiness check. Keep building real wins in parallel while your employer runs the standard sponsorship path at its normal pace.

Conclusion

We followed a strange email, pulled the thread, and realized we were almost drawn into what looked like an illicit scheme. We avoided becoming a tool of a scam and saw it through to the end.

Where does that leave a foreign sales engineer in the United States hoping to secure a green card? Not with shortcuts, but with a path built on real work and real people. Associations will not make everyone extraordinary. By definition, only a few are. Yet if you are talented and persistent, the right community can help you grow faster. If you are already extraordinary, a legitimate association gives you a stage to show it. If you are on your way, active participation offers ways to contribute, publish, teach, lead, and be seen. NAASE exists for that. Join for the people and the work, not for a line on a form.

All information in this article is based on publicly available sources as of October 2025