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 16181–16190

EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles

Why the evidence was persuasive

The Petitioner documented authorship of scholarly articles in recognized professional publications, satisfying this criterion.

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The Petitioner documented authorship of scholarly articles in recognized professional publications, satisfying this criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_04_B2203; source_row=22261
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Final meritsReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Final merits

final merits determination

What the decision said

AAO explicitly declined to fully conduct the final merits determination because the step-1 threshold was not met, but noted in the aggregate that the record does not support the required level of expertise.

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AAO explicitly declined to fully conduct the final merits determination because the step-1 threshold was not met, but noted in the aggregate that the record does not support the required level of expertise.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_04_B2203; source_row=22262
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance in the field

Why AAO was not persuaded

Expert letters discuss only potential future impact rather than established, realized impact on the field. The limited citations received (seven and two respectively) were not sufficiently explained as indicative of widespread field impact. Uncorroborated assertions about other groups adopting the Petitioner's methods were given limited weight.…

Why this is useful

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

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Expert letters discuss only potential future impact rather than established, realized impact on the field. The limited citations received (seven and two respectively) were not sufficiently explained as indicative of widespread field impact. Uncorroborated assertions about other groups adopting the Petitioner's methods were given limited weight. The evidence did not demonstrate that the Petitioner's work had been unusually influential or widely applied.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_04_B2203; source_row=22260
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

prizes or awards

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner received several nationally recognized awards for weightlifting, satisfying this criterion.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner received several nationally recognized awards for weightlifting, satisfying this criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_02_B2203; source_row=22245
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

scholarly articles

Why the evidence was persuasive

Neither the petitioner nor the director addressed this criterion, but AAO found the record contained sufficient evidence: the petitioner presented scholarly engineering research at conferences that appeared in published proceedings.

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Neither the petitioner nor the director addressed this criterion, but AAO found the record contained sufficient evidence: the petitioner presented scholarly engineering research at conferences that appeared in published proceedings.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_01_B2203; source_row=22242
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the petitioner that the plain language of the criterion must be applied at step one without qualitative inquiry into the selection process. The petitioner's service on the review board, which reviewed capital project decisions and provided feedback, satisfied the criterion.

Why this is useful

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AAO agreed with the petitioner that the plain language of the criterion must be applied at step one without qualitative inquiry into the selection process. The petitioner's service on the review board, which reviewed capital project decisions and provided feedback, satisfied the criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_01_B2203; source_row=22241
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found that two letters sufficiently explained the critical nature of the petitioner's role in The Congo, including managing a $2.7 billion capital project, filling in for absent leadership, and being the primary author for all major business documents. These adequately clarified how the petitioner was critical to the employer's ventures in The Congo.

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AAO found that two letters sufficiently explained the critical nature of the petitioner's role in The Congo, including managing a $2.7 billion capital project, filling in for absent leadership, and being the primary author for all major business documents. These adequately clarified how the petitioner was critical to the employer's ventures in The Congo.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-24_01_B2203; source_row=22243
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

other

Beneficiary's standing as affected party under AC21 portability

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the Director's failure to determine whether the Beneficiary had properly ported was an error requiring remand. The matter must be sent back for the Director to evaluate portability eligibility before any substantive revocation decision is rendered.

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AAO found that the Director's failure to determine whether the Beneficiary had properly ported was an error requiring remand. The matter must be sent back for the Director to evaluate portability eligibility before any substantive revocation decision is rendered.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-22_01_B5203; source_row=22240
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

Why AAO was not persuaded

The website was not shown to be a major medium; contributor credits and photo captions are not published material 'about' the petitioner; the article quoting the Petitioner was about other photographers launching a magazine and was not about the Petitioner; and the evidence lacked required title, date, or author information.

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The website was not shown to be a major medium; contributor credits and photo captions are not published material 'about' the petitioner; the article quoting the Petitioner was about other photographers launching a magazine and was not about the Petitioner; and the evidence lacked required title, date, or author information.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-19_02_B2203; source_row=22225
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging

Why AAO was not persuaded

Evaluating photoshoots informally as part of job duties does not equate to participation as a judge of the work of others; the criterion requires a formal designation in a judging capacity; letters merely repeating the regulatory language without evidence of formal judging are insufficient.

Why this is useful

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Evaluating photoshoots informally as part of job duties does not equate to participation as a judge of the work of others; the criterion requires a formal designation in a judging capacity; letters merely repeating the regulatory language without evidence of formal judging are insufficient.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2018-01-19_02_B2203; source_row=22226
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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