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 12531–12540

EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot established

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences40 papers3 citations

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO analyzed this criterion because it had withdrawn the Director's finding on published material. Although the Petitioner was found to play a leading role for both editorial journals, neither journal was shown to have a distinguished reputation based on the evidence submitted. The university council evidence also failed to demonstrate a leading or critical role or distinguished reputation.

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AAO analyzed this criterion because it had withdrawn the Director's finding on published material. Although the Petitioner was found to play a leading role for both editorial journals, neither journal was shown to have a distinguished reputation based on the evidence submitted. The university council evidence also failed to demonstrate a leading or critical role or distinguished reputation.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_01_B2203; source_row=26392
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role

Why AAO was not persuaded

For the coaching organization, the three letters from its owner contained inconsistent accounts of the Petitioner's role in developing the 'action vocabulary technique,' and the record lacked corroborating evidence of the technique's importance.…

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For the coaching organization, the three letters from its owner contained inconsistent accounts of the Petitioner's role in developing the 'action vocabulary technique,' and the record lacked corroborating evidence of the technique's importance. For the South African artists' organization, the CEO's letters made broad claims without details about the Petitioner's actual duties, frequency of teaching, or quantifiable impact, and the organization's distinguished reputation was not established. For the self-defense training organization, the Petitioner presented no new facts beyond what was already considered on appeal.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_07_B2203; source_row=26417
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

The petitioner submitted additional lists from coffee blogs ranking sprudge.com highly, but AAO found these lists were based on personal opinion rather than circulation data, and that Sprudge caters to coffee enthusiasts rather than qualifying as a professional or major trade publication.

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The petitioner submitted additional lists from coffee blogs ranking sprudge.com highly, but AAO found these lists were based on personal opinion rather than circulation data, and that Sprudge caters to coffee enthusiasts rather than qualifying as a professional or major trade publication.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_04_B2203; source_row=26403
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 awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

The new promoter letter contradicts a contemporaneous newspaper article, and the unexplained discrepancies in tournament names and rankings information reduce the evidentiary value. AAO had already found in the prior appeal that even if the awards were established, they were not shown to be nationally or internationally recognized, and the new evidence does not remedy this.

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The new promoter letter contradicts a contemporaneous newspaper article, and the unexplained discrepancies in tournament names and rankings information reduce the evidentiary value. AAO had already found in the prior appeal that even if the awards were established, they were not shown to be nationally or internationally recognized, and the new evidence does not remedy this.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_05_B2203; source_row=26405
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 about the petitioner

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner did not meet the published material criterion, and on motion the Petitioner submitted no new evidence to overcome that prior finding.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner did not meet the published material criterion, and on motion the Petitioner submitted no new evidence to overcome that prior finding.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_05_B2203; source_row=26407
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for organizations with distinguished reputation

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner did not explain or provide evidence of how his roles were leading or critical, Wikipedia was accorded no evidentiary weight, the Free Karate Club information added nothing about reputation, and no evidence established that the university or the Karate Organization had a distinguished reputation in the field.

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The Petitioner did not explain or provide evidence of how his roles were leading or critical, Wikipedia was accorded no evidentiary weight, the Free Karate Club information added nothing about reputation, and no evidence established that the university or the Karate Organization had a distinguished reputation in the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_05_B2203; source_row=26409
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot established

Case facts

Chemistry / Chemical Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO finds that the Petitioner's paper was merely one of several studies cited in the later papers and AACC guidelines, and the evidence does not show that her individual contribution was of major significance to the development of those best practices.

Why this is useful

Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.

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AAO finds that the Petitioner's paper was merely one of several studies cited in the later papers and AACC guidelines, and the evidence does not show that her individual contribution was of major significance to the development of those best practices.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_09_B2203; source_row=26427
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot established

Case facts

Chemistry / Chemical Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO holds that completion of an accredited Ph.D. or postdoctoral program is a minimum training requirement, not an outstanding achievement, and that ASH's membership criteria (demonstrating continuous interest via work, original contributions, or meeting attendance) do not require outstanding achievements.

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AAO holds that completion of an accredited Ph.D. or postdoctoral program is a minimum training requirement, not an outstanding achievement, and that ASH's membership criteria (demonstrating continuous interest via work, original contributions, or meeting attendance) do not require outstanding achievements.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_09_B2203; source_row=26426
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

What the decision said

AAO declined to reach the contributions criterion because the Petitioner could not satisfy at least three criteria regardless of its outcome, making it unnecessary to decide. AAO noted, however, that the inconsistencies in the record regarding the origin of the action vocabulary technique—the Petitioner's only claim under this criterion—should be addressed in any future filing.

Why this is useful

Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.

View full reasoning +
AAO declined to reach the contributions criterion because the Petitioner could not satisfy at least three criteria regardless of its outcome, making it unnecessary to decide. AAO noted, however, that the inconsistencies in the record regarding the origin of the action vocabulary technique—the Petitioner's only claim under this criterion—should be addressed in any future filing.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_07_B2203; source_row=26418
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1Aprocedural or otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

procedural or other

Motion to Reopen — New Facts

Why AAO was not persuaded

The e-book was published approximately two years after the petition's filing date and therefore cannot establish eligibility as of the time of filing. Moreover, the Petitioner failed to show the book is a scholarly article, that it relates to acting, or that it constitutes professional or major trade publication or other major media, as it appears self-published with no identified publisher.

Why this is useful

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The e-book was published approximately two years after the petition's filing date and therefore cannot establish eligibility as of the time of filing. Moreover, the Petitioner failed to show the book is a scholarly article, that it relates to acting, or that it constitutes professional or major trade publication or other major media, as it appears self-published with no identified publisher.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-10-05_02_B2203; source_row=26394
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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