I do not think that having a US Bachelor's or Ph.D. were particularly important in this case (or any other case) but I think that getting a Ph.D. allowed the candidate to do research in areas of clear public interest (US national interest) and provide opportunities for peer-reviewed publications. Those opportunities may not have existed at a foreign university. Also, in this case and others we always look for any research that has received US government or comparable funding and we had some arguments and evidence to make.
This is a long way of saying that attending a US college/university is not absolutely required but there are ancillary benefits that can be bolster a case for a candidate who attends a US college or university.
Overall, if I were advising anyone not born in India or China, I would say that pursuing a Ph.D. in a STEM field is a great way to bolster your profile to potentially qualify for EB-2 NIW and although there are cut-off dates on the Visa Bulletin for EB2 ROW, the wait time will hopefully not be bad and getting a Ph.D. and green card through EB-2 NIW is a great way to position yourself for a long career in the US where the sky is the limit for opportunities.
Is there a possibility that having a US based degree also facilitated the process?
I do not think that having a US Bachelor's or Ph.D. were particularly important in this case (or any other case) but I think that getting a Ph.D. allowed the candidate to do research in areas of clear public interest (US national interest) and provide opportunities for peer-reviewed publications. Those opportunities may not have existed at a foreign university. Also, in this case and others we always look for any research that has received US government or comparable funding and we had some arguments and evidence to make.
This is a long way of saying that attending a US college/university is not absolutely required but there are ancillary benefits that can be bolster a case for a candidate who attends a US college or university.
Overall, if I were advising anyone not born in India or China, I would say that pursuing a Ph.D. in a STEM field is a great way to bolster your profile to potentially qualify for EB-2 NIW and although there are cut-off dates on the Visa Bulletin for EB2 ROW, the wait time will hopefully not be bad and getting a Ph.D. and green card through EB-2 NIW is a great way to position yourself for a long career in the US where the sky is the limit for opportunities.
Many thanks for this detailed response.