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 13931–13940
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot established
Case facts
Biomedical / Life Sciences13 citations
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Original contributions
original contributions of major significance
Why AAO was not persuaded
The Petitioner's citation counts, journal rankings, conference participation, and recommendation letters did not sufficiently demonstrate that her work constituted original contributions of major significance. The letters were vague, speculative about future impact, and lacked specifics about how her work influenced the field.…
Why this is useful
Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.
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The Petitioner's citation counts, journal rankings, conference participation, and recommendation letters did not sufficiently demonstrate that her work constituted original contributions of major significance. The letters were vague, speculative about future impact, and lacked specifics about how her work influenced the field. Citation numbers were not shown to be commensurate with major significance, and the Petitioner failed to provide documentation corroborating claimed citation percentile rankings.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_02_B2203; source_row=24753 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
advanced degree or foreign equivalent qualification
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO withdrew the Director's favorable finding. The MBA Foundation Program certificate does not show receipt of an MBA or baccalaureate degree. The foreign credentials were unaccompanied by official academic records or a credentials evaluation establishing foreign equivalency to a U.S. advanced or baccalaureate degree.
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AAO withdrew the Director's favorable finding. The MBA Foundation Program certificate does not show receipt of an MBA or baccalaureate degree. The foreign credentials were unaccompanied by official academic records or a credentials evaluation establishing foreign equivalency to a U.S. advanced or baccalaureate degree.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_01_B5203; source_row=24744 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
OtherPhD
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial merit and national importance
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO found that while the endeavor has substantial merit, the Petitioner did not demonstrate national importance. His work would not extend beyond his individual clients to impact the U.S. foreign investment industry more broadly, and no evidence of projected U.S. economic impact or job creation was provided.
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Compare how the decision separates a broadly important field from the prospective impact of the applicant’s specific work.
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AAO found that while the endeavor has substantial merit, the Petitioner did not demonstrate national importance. His work would not extend beyond his individual clients to impact the U.S. foreign investment industry more broadly, and no evidence of projected U.S. economic impact or job creation was provided.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_01_B5203; source_row=24748 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
OtherFaculty
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Published material
published material
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO withdrew the Director's finding because the submitted Polish website articles were about the Petitioner's students, not the Petitioner himself, and the one article actually about the Petitioner appeared in a newspaper (Nowy Dziennik) that the Petitioner failed to establish qualifies as major media, given the lack of comparative circulation data and its limited geographic audience.
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AAO withdrew the Director's finding because the submitted Polish website articles were about the Petitioner's students, not the Petitioner himself, and the one article actually about the Petitioner appeared in a newspaper (Nowy Dziennik) that the Petitioner failed to establish qualifies as major media, given the lack of comparative circulation data and its limited geographic audience.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_03_B2203; source_row=24757 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The evidence for the association did not demonstrate how the Petitioner's roles were leading or critical in terms of actual duties and impact, and relied solely on testimonial evidence without corroboration of the association's distinguished reputation.…
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The evidence for the association did not demonstrate how the Petitioner's roles were leading or critical in terms of actual duties and impact, and relied solely on testimonial evidence without corroboration of the association's distinguished reputation. For the dance academy, although the Petitioner's leading role was acknowledged, the record lacked sufficient evidence of distinguished reputation; the expert opinion letter mirrored the Petitioner's own statement word-for-word, limiting its probative value.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_03_B2203; source_row=24760 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
OtherFaculty
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Original contributions
original contributions
Why AAO was not persuaded
The letters were general, contained identical boilerplate language, and failed to explain how the Petitioner made original contributions that widely impacted the field. Although one letter attributed a novel scientific teaching approach to the Petitioner, the record lacked adequate documentation of the impact or extent of use of his teaching method.
Why this is useful
Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.
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The letters were general, contained identical boilerplate language, and failed to explain how the Petitioner made original contributions that widely impacted the field. Although one letter attributed a novel scientific teaching approach to the Petitioner, the record lacked adequate documentation of the impact or extent of use of his teaching method.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_03_B2203; source_row=24759 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The letters repeat the regulatory language without specifically identifying the criteria or selection processes for team membership. The Petitioner's underlying competitive achievements are insufficiently documented, and the record does not clarify how membership decisions are made or whether the recommenders were in a position to make such determinations over 20 years ago.
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The letters repeat the regulatory language without specifically identifying the criteria or selection processes for team membership. The Petitioner's underlying competitive achievements are insufficiently documented, and the record does not clarify how membership decisions are made or whether the recommenders were in a position to make such determinations over 20 years ago.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_03_B2203; source_row=24756 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Awards received by the Petitioner's students do not satisfy the criterion. His own competition awards lack adequate documentation (incomplete translation, no name on trophies), corroborating evidence is absent, and the DVIDA certificate is a teaching credential rather than a nationally or internationally recognized award.
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Awards received by the Petitioner's students do not satisfy the criterion. His own competition awards lack adequate documentation (incomplete translation, no name on trophies), corroborating evidence is absent, and the DVIDA certificate is a teaching credential rather than a nationally or internationally recognized award.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_03_B2203; source_row=24755 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Final meritsReservedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Biomedical / Life Sciences13 citations
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Final merits
final merits determination
What the decision said
AAO declined to conduct a full final merits determination because the Petitioner did not meet the threshold three-criteria requirement, but noted the record in the aggregate did not support the required acclaim.
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AAO declined to conduct a full final merits determination because the Petitioner did not meet the threshold three-criteria requirement, but noted the record in the aggregate did not support the required acclaim.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_02_B2203; source_row=24754 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Occupation falls within sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
Why the evidence was persuasive
AAO found the Director focused improperly on the SOC code rather than the aggregate evidence, disagreed that members of the professions are categorically ineligible for EB-1A, and determined that the Petitioner's area of expertise and intended U.S. employment fall within 'business' under the Act.
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AAO found the Director focused improperly on the SOC code rather than the aggregate evidence, disagreed that members of the professions are categorically ineligible for EB-1A, and determined that the Petitioner's area of expertise and intended U.S. employment fall within 'business' under the Act.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-11-26_01_B2203; source_row=24742 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c