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.
membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements
Why the evidence was persuasive
AAO found the Director erred in finding no evidence. While not all national team membership claims were supported (e.g., the 2010 meet had 22 Russian swimmers, undermining the 'two per country' claim), AAO found the Petitioner sufficiently documented membership on the Russian national team that competed at the 2009 European championships, with that membership requiring outstanding achievements as judged by national experts.
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AAO found the Director erred in finding no evidence. While not all national team membership claims were supported (e.g., the 2010 meet had 22 Russian swimmers, undermining the 'two per country' claim), AAO found the Petitioner sufficiently documented membership on the Russian national team that competed at the 2009 European championships, with that membership requiring outstanding achievements as judged by national experts.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-27_01_B2203; source_row=24443 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media
Why AAO was not persuaded
The Petitioner did not establish authorship (the screenshots describe her in third person), the content does not qualify as scholarly (it consists of basic tips for dancers), and dance.ru was not shown to be a major medium or professional publication.
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The Petitioner did not establish authorship (the screenshots describe her in third person), the content does not qualify as scholarly (it consists of basic tips for dancers), and dance.ru was not shown to be a major medium or professional publication.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_02_B2203; source_row=24438 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards
Why AAO was not persuaded
The Petitioner's evidence related to the competitions themselves rather than to the awards. The 'Prestige Diploma' is awarded to all competitors and is therefore not an award for excellence; the 'Diplome D'Honneur' is not mentioned in the Competition Guidebook; and the 'Gold Medal' was in a junior division, which the Petitioner did not establish as nationally or internationally recognized.
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The Petitioner's evidence related to the competitions themselves rather than to the awards. The 'Prestige Diploma' is awarded to all competitors and is therefore not an award for excellence; the 'Diplome D'Honneur' is not mentioned in the Competition Guidebook; and the 'Gold Medal' was in a junior division, which the Petitioner did not establish as nationally or internationally recognized.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_02_B2203; source_row=24434 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 in relation to others in the field
Why AAO was not persuaded
The Petitioner's evidence compared her per-project earnings to average monthly wages rather than to per-project remuneration of other make-up artists, making an apples-to-oranges comparison that does not establish significantly high remuneration.
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The Petitioner's evidence compared her per-project earnings to average monthly wages rather than to per-project remuneration of other make-up artists, making an apples-to-oranges comparison that does not establish significantly high remuneration.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_02_B2203; source_row=24440 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
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 withdrew the Director's finding because most screenshots are not about the Petitioner but about her opinions on celebrity products or other make-up artists, required authorship/date information was missing, and the Petitioner did not establish that the relevant websites or magazines are professional or major trade publications or major media.
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AAO withdrew the Director's finding because most screenshots are not about the Petitioner but about her opinions on celebrity products or other make-up artists, required authorship/date information was missing, and the Petitioner did not establish that the relevant websites or magazines are professional or major trade publications or major media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_02_B2203; source_row=24436 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements
Why AAO was not persuaded
The UHCR membership criteria do not require outstanding achievements—they encompass organizations merely providing services and individuals with awards from regional contests or basic professional experience. Additionally, the Petitioner did not establish that recognized national or international experts judge membership qualifications, and the UHCR representative's assertions were inconsistent with the bylaws.
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The UHCR membership criteria do not require outstanding achievements—they encompass organizations merely providing services and individuals with awards from regional contests or basic professional experience. Additionally, the Petitioner did not establish that recognized national or international experts judge membership qualifications, and the UHCR representative's assertions were inconsistent with the bylaws.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_02_B2203; source_row=24435 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Field of endeavor within sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO found the Director's analysis insufficient and disagreed with the Director's apparent view that a member of the legal profession is categorically ineligible, citing a 1995 INS General Counsel opinion that a lawyer of extraordinary ability in business or another EB-1 endeavor would not be ineligible simply because the alien is also a lawyer. AAO remanded for further analysis rather than resolving the issue itself.
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AAO found the Director's analysis insufficient and disagreed with the Director's apparent view that a member of the legal profession is categorically ineligible, citing a 1995 INS General Counsel opinion that a lawyer of extraordinary ability in business or another EB-1 endeavor would not be ineligible simply because the alien is also a lawyer. AAO remanded for further analysis rather than resolving the issue itself.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_01_B2203; source_row=24431 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Final merits determination (sustained national or international acclaim)
What the decision said
AAO reserved the final merits determination for the Director on remand, instructing that if the initial evidentiary criteria are met, the Director should assess the totality of the evidence to determine whether the Petitioner is among the small percentage at the very top of her field.
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AAO reserved the final merits determination for the Director on remand, instructing that if the initial evidentiary criteria are met, the Director should assess the totality of the evidence to determine whether the Petitioner is among the small percentage at the very top of her field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2019-09-26_01_B2203; source_row=24433 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c