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.
10,847 decisions /36,849 findings
Showing 12001–12010
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot established
Case facts
Computer Science / AI
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · High remuneration
high salary
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO disagreed with the Director's finding on this criterion, concluding the Petitioner improperly compared the Beneficiary's managerial salary to nonmanagerial software developer salaries rather than to other managerial software developers.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
AAO disagreed with the Director's finding on this criterion, concluding the Petitioner improperly compared the Beneficiary's managerial salary to nonmanagerial software developer salaries rather than to other managerial software developers.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_03_B2203; source_row=27036 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Final merits determination – sustained national or international acclaim at the very top of the field
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO found that peer review invitations did not demonstrate top-of-field status because even students participate; media coverage was temporally narrow, largely derived from institutional press releases, and not personal to the Petitioner; only one article surpassed the top-1% citation threshold, insufficient for sustained acclaim; and reference letters supported original contributions but not national or international accla…
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
AAO found that peer review invitations did not demonstrate top-of-field status because even students participate; media coverage was temporally narrow, largely derived from institutional press releases, and not personal to the Petitioner; only one article surpassed the top-1% citation threshold, insufficient for sustained acclaim; and reference letters supported original contributions but not national or international acclaim as a researcher at the very top of the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_01_B2203; source_row=27021 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards
Why AAO was not persuaded
The record did not establish that the claimed awards are nationally or internationally recognized. The awarding organization's letter described how the Petitioner received the award but not the award's recognition level, and no media coverage of the awards was submitted.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
The record did not establish that the claimed awards are nationally or internationally recognized. The awarding organization's letter described how the Petitioner received the award but not the award's recognition level, and no media coverage of the awards was submitted.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27076 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · High remuneration
high salary or significantly high remuneration for services
Why AAO was not persuaded
The letters supporting high pay used nearly identical language suggesting a common (likely the Petitioner herself) author. The high combined remuneration figure included income from schools and non-journalism clients, not her journalism salary specifically. Because most of her income derived from schools rather than publishers, she did not establish a high salary as a journalist.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
The letters supporting high pay used nearly identical language suggesting a common (likely the Petitioner herself) author. The high combined remuneration figure included income from schools and non-journalism clients, not her journalism salary specifically. Because most of her income derived from schools rather than publishers, she did not establish a high salary as a journalist.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27084 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements
Why AAO was not persuaded
Neither organization was shown to require outstanding achievements of its members. The FNJ is a trade union with over 10,000 members rather than an exclusive organization with restrictive membership requirements.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
Neither organization was shown to require outstanding achievements of its members. The FNJ is a trade union with over 10,000 members rather than an exclusive organization with restrictive membership requirements.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27077 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
leading or critical role for distinguished organizations or establishments
Why AAO was not persuaded
While the AAO found the publisher's distinguished reputation established, the Petitioner failed to show her role was leading or critical. The letters credited her with contributions but lacked comparative context about other staff, and the Petitioner provided few details about the nature of her work as a sub-editor.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
While the AAO found the publisher's distinguished reputation established, the Petitioner failed to show her role was leading or critical. The letters credited her with contributions but lacked comparative context about other staff, and the Petitioner provided few details about the nature of her work as a sub-editor.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27083 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The Petitioner did not establish a high journalism salary, journalism is not the performing arts, and commercial success is not synonymous with high salary. The Petitioner submitted no box office receipts or sales figures.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
The Petitioner did not establish a high journalism salary, journalism is not the performing arts, and commercial success is not synonymous with high salary. The Petitioner submitted no box office receipts or sales figures.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27085 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The submitted articles were not scholarly; they were written for a general readership on topics such as a science fiction film preview, cold-weather dressing, and profiles of women in various fields, rather than for learned persons in the field.
Why this is useful
See how AAO evaluated whether the work qualified as scholarly authorship and what it showed in the full record.
View full reasoning +
The submitted articles were not scholarly; they were written for a general readership on topics such as a science fiction film preview, cold-weather dressing, and profiles of women in various fields, rather than for learned persons in the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27081 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Published material
published material about the alien in professional or major trade publications or other major media
Why AAO was not persuaded
Initial articles were authored by the Petitioner herself and thus products of her work rather than about her. Post-filing articles could not establish eligibility at time of filing. The two remaining pre-filing articles lacked authors' names and the publications were not shown to be professional or major trade publications or major media.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
Initial articles were authored by the Petitioner herself and thus products of her work rather than about her. Post-filing articles could not establish eligibility at time of filing. The two remaining pre-filing articles lacked authors' names and the publications were not shown to be professional or major trade publications or major media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_08_B2203; source_row=27078 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
AAO conducts the final merits determination de novo and concludes that the evidence does not establish sustained national or international acclaim or top-of-field standing.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
AAO conducts the final merits determination de novo and concludes that the evidence does not establish sustained national or international acclaim or top-of-field standing.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2021-02-26_05_B2203; source_row=27060 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c