For what type/kind of NIW will I qualify?

[sp1974]

Dear Group,
I am currently woking as a post-doctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I hold a Ph.D. degree in Bioinformatics. When I started my Ph.D., my boss moved from Denmark to USA and I moved along with him. Technically my Ph.D. is from Denmark, however, I worked the 'complete term' of my thesis at Johns Hopkins.
During my Ph.D. work I published in 10 internationally reputed journals. The main project on my thesis is cited by over 9 other research articles. The research area that I am in (Bioinformatics) is one of the hot areas in biology and there is a great demand for it on the globe. My research contribution to the community in developing a resource for biologists was appreciated and has been mentioned on various news items (Many online news portals including Wash. post).
currently, I am on a H1-B VISA status. My H1-B status has been renewed recently for 3 years. I am in 4th year of my H1-B. Now that I am planning to apply for GC, I am not sure what type/section of NIW I qualify for. I was assured by my chief that a good support in the form of recommendation letters will be given and any other support towards this effort. Unfortunately, the institution that I am working in is highly reputed and do not consider GC works for low-level work force like postdoctoral fellows. As one of the members said here on this forum, one should be a Nobel to get support from these institutions.
Could any one this forum throw some light on my candidature for NIW. My specific questions would be:
1. What section of NIW I qualify better?
2. Is my background suits better for NIW or should I consider the regular stream.
3. How much time (roughly) will it take to get a GC through this channel?
4. Are there any other issues that I should pay attension to?
5. I was told to hire a lawyer and some warned me that I will know much better than an attorney. What is this fiasco here?

Hope to learn from the forum.

Thank you.

[nikkasingh]

Dear SP1974,

I was a post doc at Hopkins School of Medicine during 1999-2002. I am sure you are enjoying the bars of Fells Point as much as I did. With your qualifications, you will get Advaced degree (NIW) as a cakewalk. Fill out the form, make copies of all your papers, get your citations through the library or thru ISI (every paper or review that cited any of your 10 papers should be in there, get impact factors for the journals that you published in, get info about any place on earth, be it print or electronic media where your current or past work was cited or mentioned say a piece in the Baltimore Sun about your work or Indian Express or even JHU website or some review or powerpoint presentation of a competetor who describes your work in his talk at a meeting etc, highlight the part where your work is mentioned, and most importantly get the ref letters. JHU staff (I dont know if Murray Welcsh or Jen Kerrilla are still there or not but they are very helpful and very good imigration lawyers) will be able to help u with model letters. be sure to get some letters from people not directly connected to you like boss, former boss, faculty in department etc. best to get letters from competetors, people in the broad area of bioinformatics who you meet in the meetings etc. One more thing, if you have reviewed papers for any journals, describe that, if not ask your boss to give you some material to review. reviewing NIH grants is even better so is having a grant from NIH or some other source.