Source-backed decision research

Explore how AAO evaluates evidence.

Search a substantial collection of case-specific reasoning, then narrow it by petition, field, legal issue, or date.

This expanded collection favors source-backed access over perfect automated classification. Fields, labels, summaries, and relevance may contain errors; records marked ‘broader context’ need extra care. Review the cited source before relying on any record. These appeals and motions do not show approval odds or denial rates, and are not legal advice or a prediction.

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10,847 decisions / 36,849 findings

Showing 10621–10630

EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · High remuneration

high salary or other significantly high remuneration

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found the employer letter insufficient to document actual earnings without corroborating payroll, bank, or tax records, and found the comparative salary data inadequate because it covered all NGO positions rather than senior/executive roles and was accompanied by a publisher caveat about great salary variation. The unpublished AAO decision cited by Petitioner was non-binding and distinguishable.…

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AAO found the employer letter insufficient to document actual earnings without corroborating payroll, bank, or tax records, and found the comparative salary data inadequate because it covered all NGO positions rather than senior/executive roles and was accompanied by a publisher caveat about great salary variation. The unpublished AAO decision cited by Petitioner was non-binding and distinguishable. AAO concluded the Petitioner had not shown legal or policy error in the prior determination.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-05_01_B2203; source_row=28835
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for distinguished organizations

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO had previously found in its appeal decision that the Petitioner demonstrated a critical role with a distinguished organization, satisfying criterion (viii). This finding stands on motion.

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AAO had previously found in its appeal decision that the Petitioner demonstrated a critical role with a distinguished organization, satisfying criterion (viii). This finding stands on motion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-05_01_B2203; source_row=28834
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that the Petitioner's nursing activities benefit specific patients and her workplace but do not demonstrate broader national impact. The advisory opinion and recommendation letters praised her abilities but did not address the national importance requirement. Claims about training others were unsupported by evidence of what methods she offers that differ from existing U.S.…

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AAO agreed that the Petitioner's nursing activities benefit specific patients and her workplace but do not demonstrate broader national impact. The advisory opinion and recommendation letters praised her abilities but did not address the national importance requirement. Claims about training others were unsupported by evidence of what methods she offers that differ from existing U.S. nursing practices or how much time she would spend on teaching.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-04_01_B5203; source_row=28828
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Social SciencesPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found the Petitioner's proposed endeavor was too vague and inconsistently described to establish national importance. The conflicting information about whether she would work as a professor or researcher, along with inadequate specificity about future activities and insufficient evidence that her research had broad impact beyond academia, precluded a finding of national importance.…

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AAO found the Petitioner's proposed endeavor was too vague and inconsistently described to establish national importance. The conflicting information about whether she would work as a professor or researcher, along with inadequate specificity about future activities and insufficient evidence that her research had broad impact beyond academia, precluded a finding of national importance. Teaching at a specific university, without broader field-wide impact, does not rise to national importance per Dhanasar.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-03_01_B5203; source_row=28823
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot established

Case facts

Social SciencesPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found the Petitioner had not persuasively established expertise, a significant role in her field, sustained interest in her work, or independent funding for her research. Her citation record of nine was modest, much of her published work appeared dependent on her former faculty supervisor's platform, and the claimed government funding was either for unrelated consultancy work or insufficiently corroborated.…

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AAO found the Petitioner had not persuasively established expertise, a significant role in her field, sustained interest in her work, or independent funding for her research. Her citation record of nine was modest, much of her published work appeared dependent on her former faculty supervisor's platform, and the claimed government funding was either for unrelated consultancy work or insufficiently corroborated. Her editorial board and peer review activities did not demonstrate she was well positioned to advance her endeavor.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-03_01_B5203; source_row=28824
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

other

beneficiary meets labor certification experience requirement by priority date

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO concluded the Beneficiary had at least five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience, including two years with the specified tools, by March 5, 2019.

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AAO concluded the Beneficiary had at least five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience, including two years with the specified tools, by March 5, 2019.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-03_02_B5203; source_row=28827
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

job requires advanced degree or equivalent

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO resolved the labor certification ambiguity by reference to recruitment materials and concluded the proffered position requires a bachelor's plus five years of experience (or master's plus two), which qualifies as advanced degree professional.

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AAO resolved the labor certification ambiguity by reference to recruitment materials and concluded the proffered position requires a bachelor's plus five years of experience (or master's plus two), which qualifies as advanced degree professional.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-03_02_B5203; source_row=28826
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social SciencesPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

on balance, beneficial to waive job offer requirement

What the decision said

AAO explicitly declined to reach prong three because failure under prongs one and two was independently dispositive, stating that further analysis would serve no meaningful purpose.

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AAO explicitly declined to reach prong three because failure under prongs one and two was independently dispositive, stating that further analysis would serve no meaningful purpose.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-03_01_B5203; source_row=28825
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that while the Petitioner received numerous medals and accolades, the limited media coverage of those awards was insufficient to establish national or international recognition in the martial arts field. Conclusory letters from those in the field and self-referential statements from event organizers do not suffice to demonstrate that the awards are nationally or internationally recognized.

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AAO agreed that while the Petitioner received numerous medals and accolades, the limited media coverage of those awards was insufficient to establish national or international recognition in the martial arts field. Conclusory letters from those in the field and self-referential statements from event organizers do not suffice to demonstrate that the awards are nationally or internationally recognized.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-01_01_B2203; source_row=28819
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material in professional or major trade publications or other major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the Petitioner failed to provide independent circulation statistics for the magazine, relying instead on self-promotional publisher letters which USCIS need not credit. Website articles do not automatically constitute major media. Additionally, published material about the Petitioner relates to his role as an athlete/competitor rather than his intended field as a coach, which is a separate area of expertise.

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AAO found that the Petitioner failed to provide independent circulation statistics for the magazine, relying instead on self-promotional publisher letters which USCIS need not credit. Website articles do not automatically constitute major media. Additionally, published material about the Petitioner relates to his role as an athlete/competitor rather than his intended field as a coach, which is a separate area of expertise.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-11-01_01_B2203; source_row=28820
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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