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 19761–19770

NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other200 citations

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO did not separately contest the director's finding that the proposed benefit was national in scope.

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AAO did not separately contest the director's finding that the proposed benefit was national in scope.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-09-02_01_B5203; source_row=18402
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for organizations or establishments with a distinguished reputation

Why AAO was not persuaded

The recommendation letters described the petitioner's competitive swimming achievements but did not identify any leading or critical coaching role. Some letters contained identical language suggesting they were not authored independently. Being a member of a national sports team does not automatically constitute a leading or critical role.…

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The recommendation letters described the petitioner's competitive swimming achievements but did not identify any leading or critical coaching role. Some letters contained identical language suggesting they were not authored independently. Being a member of a national sports team does not automatically constitute a leading or critical role. The organizing committee badge did not demonstrate a leading or critical role, and the petitioner failed to show the organizations had distinguished reputations.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-29_01_B2203; source_row=18399
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's national team membership was as a swimmer, not a coach, so it does not meet the requirement for membership in his field (coaching). His other associations either had membership requirements based on age, general interest, and compliance with rules (not outstanding achievements), or failed to show that membership was judged by recognized national or international experts.

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The petitioner's national team membership was as a swimmer, not a coach, so it does not meet the requirement for membership in his field (coaching). His other associations either had membership requirements based on age, general interest, and compliance with rules (not outstanding achievements), or failed to show that membership was judged by recognized national or international experts.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-29_01_B2203; source_row=18397
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

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's claimed awards relate to his career as a competitive swimmer, not as a swimming coach — the field for which classification is sought. Additionally, for competitions where he did not submit primary evidence, he failed to demonstrate unavailability of such evidence.…

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The petitioner's claimed awards relate to his career as a competitive swimmer, not as a swimming coach — the field for which classification is sought. Additionally, for competitions where he did not submit primary evidence, he failed to demonstrate unavailability of such evidence. For those competitions where primary evidence was submitted, he finished in fourth and fifth place without showing those finishes are recognized for excellence.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-29_01_B2203; source_row=18396
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 about the alien in professional or major trade publications or other major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

The articles were submitted only with summary translations rather than the required full certified translations, so their content could not be established. Even based on the summary descriptions, the material appeared to report on his swimming competition results, not his coaching work. The petitioner also failed to establish that the publications are professional or major trade publications or other major media.

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The articles were submitted only with summary translations rather than the required full certified translations, so their content could not be established. Even based on the summary descriptions, the material appeared to report on his swimming competition results, not his coaching work. The petitioner also failed to establish that the publications are professional or major trade publications or other major media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-29_01_B2203; source_row=18398
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Commercial successNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Commercial success

Commercial successes in the performing arts (box office receipts or record/video sales)

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner did not address the director's concerns on appeal and did not provide box office receipts for other commercially successful movies against which to compare the beneficiary's results.

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The petitioner did not address the director's concerns on appeal and did not provide box office receipts for other commercially successful movies against which to compare the beneficiary's results.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-27_01_B2203; source_row=18394
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

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner did not provide primary evidence for one of the awards, and failed to show that either award is nationally or internationally recognized in the beneficiary's field. Invitations to festivals do not constitute prizes or awards. Recognition of the festival does not automatically confer national or international recognition on the awards given there.

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The petitioner did not provide primary evidence for one of the awards, and failed to show that either award is nationally or internationally recognized in the beneficiary's field. Invitations to festivals do not constitute prizes or awards. Recognition of the festival does not automatically confer national or international recognition on the awards given there.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-27_01_B2203; source_row=18391
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Major awardNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Major award

One-time achievement (major internationally recognized award)

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner did not provide primary evidence of the claimed award (photographs did not display the award name), and failed to show the award is internationally recognized in the beneficiary's field as one of the top awards in that field. The prestige of the festival does not automatically confer such recognition on individual awards.

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The petitioner did not provide primary evidence of the claimed award (photographs did not display the award name), and failed to show the award is internationally recognized in the beneficiary's field as one of the top awards in that field. The prestige of the festival does not automatically confer such recognition on individual awards.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-27_01_B2203; source_row=18390
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 about the alien in professional or major trade publications or other major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

The evidence failed on multiple grounds: reliance on Wikipedia for circulation data, material not about the beneficiary's work in the field, lack of circulation/distribution data, captions merely identifying the beneficiary rather than articles about her, non-compliant translations, and missing date/author/publication information. Television appearances do not constitute published material in required media.

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The evidence failed on multiple grounds: reliance on Wikipedia for circulation data, material not about the beneficiary's work in the field, lack of circulation/distribution data, captions merely identifying the beneficiary rather than articles about her, non-compliant translations, and missing date/author/publication information. Television appearances do not constitute published material in required media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-27_01_B2203; source_row=18392
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot pursuedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

Leading or critical role for organizations or establishments with a distinguished reputation

What the decision said

On appeal, the petitioner did not contest the director's findings or offer additional arguments for this criterion, so the AAO treated the claim as abandoned.

Why this is useful

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On appeal, the petitioner did not contest the director's findings or offer additional arguments for this criterion, so the AAO treated the claim as abandoned.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-08-27_01_B2203; source_row=18393
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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