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 18421–18430

EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

Participation as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied field

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO reversed the Director, finding no documentary evidence of actual participation as a judge after earning qualifications. Referee photographs showed no indication of judging work. The affidavit was unsubstantiated, and there was no evidence that serving as a referee equates to judging the competitors' work rather than merely enforcing rules.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO reversed the Director, finding no documentary evidence of actual participation as a judge after earning qualifications. Referee photographs showed no indication of judging work. The affidavit was unsubstantiated, and there was no evidence that serving as a referee equates to judging the competitors' work rather than merely enforcing rules.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19853
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 prizes or awards for excellence

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO reversed the Director, finding that the Petitioner's medals and certificates were not shown to be nationally or internationally recognized. A kickboxing competition being open to athletes from a country does not alone establish national or international recognition of its awards, and the evidence did not show recognition beyond the events themselves.

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

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AAO reversed the Director, finding that the Petitioner's medals and certificates were not shown to be nationally or internationally recognized. A kickboxing competition being open to athletes from a country does not alone establish national or international recognition of its awards, and the evidence did not show recognition beyond the events themselves.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19850
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Final meritsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Final merits

Final merits determination

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO noted the step-1 threshold was not met so full final merits determination was unnecessary, but reviewed the aggregate evidence and found it did not show the requisite level of sustained national or international acclaim.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO noted the step-1 threshold was not met so full final merits determination was unnecessary, but reviewed the aggregate evidence and found it did not show the requisite level of sustained national or international acclaim.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19856
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

Original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

Support letters were conclusory and did not identify specific contributions or their impact on the field. DVD sales showed commercial success but not major significance. Social media followers were insufficient to demonstrate field-level impact. Evidence of use by a few coaches did not demonstrate substantial impact on the broader field.

Why this is useful

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

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Support letters were conclusory and did not identify specific contributions or their impact on the field. DVD sales showed commercial success but not major significance. Social media followers were insufficient to demonstrate field-level impact. Evidence of use by a few coaches did not demonstrate substantial impact on the broader field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19854
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsNot established

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

An educational scholarship awarded based on academic achievements or professional excellence does not constitute recognition of excellence in the field, and an arbitration panel appointment is not a prize or award under the plain language of the criterion.

Why this is useful

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

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An educational scholarship awarded based on academic achievements or professional excellence does not constitute recognition of excellence in the field, and an arbitration panel appointment is not a prize or award under the plain language of the criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_02_B2203; source_row=19857
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot established

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material about the alien

Why AAO was not persuaded

The press release was not from a major media outlet and lacked an identified author; the local publications were not shown to be major media; and the articles in major media were about the dispute resolution mechanism, not about the Petitioner.

Why this is useful

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

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The press release was not from a major media outlet and lacked an identified author; the local publications were not shown to be major media; and the articles in major media were about the dispute resolution mechanism, not about the Petitioner.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_02_B2203; source_row=19859
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot established

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner did not document the impact of her arbitration decisions or research contributions on the field as a whole, and reference letters contained conclusory affirmations without supporting evidence of major significance.

Why this is useful

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

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The Petitioner did not document the impact of her arbitration decisions or research contributions on the field as a whole, and reference letters contained conclusory affirmations without supporting evidence of major significance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_02_B2203; source_row=19861
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot pursuedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

Display of the alien's work at artistic exhibitions or showcases

What the decision said

The Petitioner did not contest the Director's findings for this criterion on appeal, so the issue was considered abandoned.

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 contest the Director's findings for this criterion on appeal, so the issue was considered abandoned.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19855
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot pursuedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

What the decision said

The Petitioner did not contest the Director's findings for this criterion on motion or appeal, so the issue was considered abandoned.

Why this is useful

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

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The Petitioner did not contest the Director's findings for this criterion on motion or appeal, so the issue was considered abandoned.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_01_B2203; source_row=19851
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for distinguished organizations

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found persuasive evidence that the Petitioner served as president of an arbitration panel, directed a multidisciplinary team on a major funded project, and was one of three arbitrators on another panel, satisfying this criterion.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO found persuasive evidence that the Petitioner served as president of an arbitration panel, directed a multidisciplinary team on a major funded project, and was one of three arbitrators on another panel, satisfying this criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-11-17_02_B2203; source_row=19862
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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