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 13631–13640

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 distinguished organizations

Why AAO was not persuaded

The NPA was registered only six months before the petition was filed, and evidence of its distinguished reputation came only from the NPA itself and its officials. The Petitioner did not show the Ministry office has a distinguished reputation, nor the extent to which his training class improved its practices.

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The NPA was registered only six months before the petition was filed, and evidence of its distinguished reputation came only from the NPA itself and its officials. The Petitioner did not show the Ministry office has a distinguished reputation, nor the extent to which his training class improved its practices.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25111
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

Teaching and advocating existing methods (American standards) are not original contributions. Organizational affiliations benefit one organization, not the field as a whole. Booklets lack evidence of wide use or original content. The only post-filing citation supports a historical statistic and is insufficient to show major significance. Availability in libraries has not been shown to result in field-wide impact.

Why this is useful

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

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Teaching and advocating existing methods (American standards) are not original contributions. Organizational affiliations benefit one organization, not the field as a whole. Booklets lack evidence of wide use or original content. The only post-filing citation supports a historical statistic and is insufficient to show major significance. Availability in libraries has not been shown to result in field-wide impact.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25108
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

prizes or awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

The APA Award recognizes loyalty, professionalism, and dedication rather than excellence in the field. The Russian Ministry award lacks evidence of national/international recognition or that it was for excellence in the field. The Peace Foundation award lacks evidence of national/international recognition or the Foundation's competence to recognize excellence in polygraphy.…

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Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.

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The APA Award recognizes loyalty, professionalism, and dedication rather than excellence in the field. The Russian Ministry award lacks evidence of national/international recognition or that it was for excellence in the field. The Peace Foundation award lacks evidence of national/international recognition or the Foundation's competence to recognize excellence in polygraphy. Post-filing awards cannot establish eligibility as of the filing date.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25104
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · High remuneration

high salary or remuneration

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner did not submit first-hand documentation of remuneration such as tax documents or pay receipts. Wage comparison data was limited to two job postings and a translation with figures not matching the underlying Russian-language document. The appeal failed to address the Director's core finding about lack of evidence of actual payments received.

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The Petitioner did not submit first-hand documentation of remuneration such as tax documents or pay receipts. Wage comparison data was limited to two job postings and a translation with figures not matching the underlying Russian-language document. The appeal failed to address the Director's core finding about lack of evidence of actual payments received.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25112
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 alien in major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

The KPI article appears in a Spanish edition targeting Russian-speakers, not major media in Spain or Russia; Klerk is an accountants' site, not major media in the field; the website allows anonymous unmoderated posts; and the online publication lacks an author credit and readership information. None of the four articles establish coverage in professional or major trade publications or other major media.

Why this is useful

Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.

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The KPI article appears in a Spanish edition targeting Russian-speakers, not major media in Spain or Russia; Klerk is an accountants' site, not major media in the field; the website allows anonymous unmoderated posts; and the online publication lacks an author credit and readership information. None of the four articles establish coverage in professional or major trade publications or other major media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25106
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Why AAO was not persuaded

APA and BEPA memberships are based on occupational credentials, not outstanding achievements. The EPA honorary membership letter's reference to 'significant contributions' is too vague—it does not identify what specific contributions qualified the Petitioner, and merely repeating the language of the statute does not satisfy the burden of proof.

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APA and BEPA memberships are based on occupational credentials, not outstanding achievements. The EPA honorary membership letter's reference to 'significant contributions' is too vague—it does not identify what specific contributions qualified the Petitioner, and merely repeating the language of the statute does not satisfy the burden of proof.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_03_B2203; source_row=25105
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Why AAO was not persuaded

The certificates showed completion of FOSMA MIRO courses, not FOSMA membership. The Petitioner did not provide evidence of actual FOSMA membership, and the membership requirements (involvement in recruitment, charitable donations, fee payments) do not rise to the level of 'outstanding achievements.' Additionally, the Petitioner did not establish that the Board of Directors reviewing membership applications is comprised of n…

Why this is useful

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The certificates showed completion of FOSMA MIRO courses, not FOSMA membership. The Petitioner did not provide evidence of actual FOSMA membership, and the membership requirements (involvement in recruitment, charitable donations, fee payments) do not rise to the level of 'outstanding achievements.' Additionally, the Petitioner did not establish that the Board of Directors reviewing membership applications is comprised of nationally or internationally recognized experts.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_02_B2203; source_row=25097
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging the work of others

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner failed to show how teaching students a course is tantamount to participating as a judge of the work of others. He did not demonstrate his designation as a judge, show that he actually judged others' work in the same or similar field, or identify who he judged.

Why this is useful

See how invitations, completed assignments, and the nature of judging were documented and weighed.

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The Petitioner failed to show how teaching students a course is tantamount to participating as a judge of the work of others. He did not demonstrate his designation as a judge, show that he actually judged others' work in the same or similar field, or identify who he judged.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_02_B2203; source_row=25098
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner failed to demonstrate how operating a ship or supertanker constitutes an original contribution of major significance. Successful operation without causing incidents is not an original contribution of major significance.…

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
The Petitioner failed to demonstrate how operating a ship or supertanker constitutes an original contribution of major significance. Successful operation without causing incidents is not an original contribution of major significance. The recommendation letters lacked specific, detailed information about the unusual influence or high impact of his contributions on the field, and merely having a unique or special skill set is not itself a contribution of major significance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_02_B2203; source_row=25099
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner did not provide documentation supporting his assertion about the non-existence of scholarly journals in seafaring. General assertions that criteria do not apply to an occupation are not probative.…

Why this is useful

See how AAO evaluated whether the work qualified as scholarly authorship and what it showed in the full record.

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The Petitioner did not provide documentation supporting his assertion about the non-existence of scholarly journals in seafaring. General assertions that criteria do not apply to an occupation are not probative. The Petitioner also claimed to meet five other criteria, undermining his claim that scholarly articles do not apply, and he failed to show how course materials at an academy are 'truly comparable' to scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2020-01-28_02_B2203; source_row=25100
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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