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.

Clear filters

10,847 decisions / 36,849 findings

Showing 19001–19010

NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest substantially greater than U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner has not demonstrated that she would serve the national interest to a substantially greater degree than an available U.S. worker with the same minimum qualifications. Her effectiveness at a single school does not differentiate her from similarly qualified elementary school teachers, and there is no evidence that her work has influenced the field as a whole.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

View full reasoning +
The petitioner has not demonstrated that she would serve the national interest to a substantially greater degree than an available U.S. worker with the same minimum qualifications. Her effectiveness at a single school does not differentiate her from similarly qualified elementary school teachers, and there is no evidence that her work has influenced the field as a whole.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-10_01_B5203; source_row=19244
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's work as a teacher at a single elementary school has not been shown to have national scope. Her influence was confined to her school and classroom, and there is no evidence that U.S. school systems have adopted her methodologies.

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

View full reasoning +
The petitioner's work as a teacher at a single elementary school has not been shown to have national scope. Her influence was confined to her school and classroom, and there is no evidence that U.S. school systems have adopted her methodologies.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-10_01_B5203; source_row=19243
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the petitioner failed to show that her work had impact beyond her own students, that Virginia had already implemented the program she proposed to take nationwide since the 1970s, and that curriculum development is a state and local responsibility with no national framework demonstrated.…

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

View full reasoning +
AAO found that the petitioner failed to show that her work had impact beyond her own students, that Virginia had already implemented the program she proposed to take nationwide since the 1970s, and that curriculum development is a state and local responsibility with no national framework demonstrated. Post-filing letters to government officials and their acknowledgment letters could not be considered and did not show field impact.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-06_01_B5203; source_row=19236
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the director that the petitioner's work as a teacher is in an area of substantial intrinsic merit.

Why this is useful

Compare how the decision separates a broadly important field from the prospective impact of the applicant’s specific work.

View full reasoning +
AAO agreed with the director that the petitioner's work as a teacher is in an area of substantial intrinsic merit.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-06_01_B5203; source_row=19235
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest substantially greater than U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the petitioner's credentials, training certificates, and local appreciation letters did not demonstrate influence on the field as a whole or show that her specific contributions were substantially greater than those of a similarly qualified U.S. worker. Her unpublished abstract and proposals lacked evidence of actual impact or national implementation.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

View full reasoning +
AAO found that the petitioner's credentials, training certificates, and local appreciation letters did not demonstrate influence on the field as a whole or show that her specific contributions were substantially greater than those of a similarly qualified U.S. worker. Her unpublished abstract and proposals lacked evidence of actual impact or national implementation.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-06_01_B5203; source_row=19237
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

While the letters demonstrated originality, they failed to identify specific photographers who used or replicated the petitioner's techniques, lacked documentary evidence of broader field impact, and consisted of uncorroborated conclusory assertions insufficient to establish major significance.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
While the letters demonstrated originality, they failed to identify specific photographers who used or replicated the petitioner's techniques, lacked documentary evidence of broader field impact, and consisted of uncorroborated conclusory assertions insufficient to establish major significance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-03_01_B2203; source_row=19223
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 in major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

None of the submitted publications were shown to constitute major media through objective evidence. Self-promotional statements from publication representatives and inconsistent readership statistics were insufficient, and one source was a product/service vendor website rather than an independent trade publication.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
None of the submitted publications were shown to constitute major media through objective evidence. Self-promotional statements from publication representatives and inconsistent readership statistics were insufficient, and one source was a product/service vendor website rather than an independent trade publication.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-03_01_B2203; source_row=19222
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 declined to formally conduct a Kazarian step-2 final merits determination because the petitioner failed to meet the step-1 threshold, but noted in the alternative that the evidence in aggregate did not show the required level of expertise.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
AAO declined to formally conduct a Kazarian step-2 final merits determination because the petitioner failed to meet the step-1 threshold, but noted in the alternative that the evidence in aggregate did not show the required level of expertise.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-03_01_B2203; source_row=19226
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

benefit to national interest substantially greater than a U.S. worker with same minimum qualifications

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO finds the petitioner did not document citations, did not show federal funding agencies' assessments, did not establish that labor certification is prohibited for combination occupations, and did not show her research/teaching will continue beyond her training. The patent disclosure is internal, not a filed patent application.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

View full reasoning +
AAO finds the petitioner did not document citations, did not show federal funding agencies' assessments, did not establish that labor certification is prohibited for combination occupations, and did not show her research/teaching will continue beyond her training. The patent disclosure is internal, not a filed patent application.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-03_05_B5203; source_row=19234
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

OtherBachelor’s

Issue evaluated

other

five years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience

Why AAO was not persuaded

Experience gained with the petitioner in the proffered position cannot be counted absent a Delitizer dissimilarity showing, and the foreign personnel-management experience was not shown to be relevant to business administration or to the Tax Credit Administrator position; even crediting the affidavits, the beneficiary would have only about three years six months of qualifying experience.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
Experience gained with the petitioner in the proffered position cannot be counted absent a Delitizer dissimilarity showing, and the foreign personnel-management experience was not shown to be relevant to business administration or to the Tax Credit Administrator position; even crediting the affidavits, the beneficiary would have only about three years six months of qualifying experience.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2015-04-03_02_B5203; source_row=19229
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
← Back to assessment