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.
10,847 decisions /36,849 findings
Showing 20181–20190
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Social Sciences
Issue evaluated
NIW · Waiver on balance
national interest served to substantially greater degree than U.S. worker
Why AAO was not persuaded
The petitioner lacked a verifiable past record of demonstrable achievement with influence on the field. Her claimed publications were unverifiable, her training credentials were recent and post-filing, witness letters were vague and uncorroborated, and her evidence of German accomplishments was not substantiated. The assertion that she would achieve more once she obtained permanent residency was insufficient.
Why this is useful
See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.
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The petitioner lacked a verifiable past record of demonstrable achievement with influence on the field. Her claimed publications were unverifiable, her training credentials were recent and post-filing, witness letters were vague and uncorroborated, and her evidence of German accomplishments was not substantiated. The assertion that she would achieve more once she obtained permanent residency was insufficient.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-28_03_B5203; source_row=17901 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · National importanceNot addressedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Social Sciences
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial intrinsic merit
What the decision said
The AAO did not separately analyze whether the petitioner's work had substantial intrinsic merit; the director's NOIR and revocation focused on national scope and the third prong, and AAO's analysis concentrated on those issues.
Why this is useful
Compare how the decision separates a broadly important field from the prospective impact of the applicant’s specific work.
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The AAO did not separately analyze whether the petitioner's work had substantial intrinsic merit; the director's NOIR and revocation focused on national scope and the third prong, and AAO's analysis concentrated on those issues.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-28_03_B5203; source_row=17899 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
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 involved providing tailored services to individual schools and districts, limiting her impact to those specific clients rather than the field as a whole. Her claims about future national reach were speculative, and she acknowledged her methodology was new and untested in the United States. The petitioner had no documented track record of national-level impact.
Why this is useful
Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.
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The petitioner's work involved providing tailored services to individual schools and districts, limiting her impact to those specific clients rather than the field as a whole. Her claims about future national reach were speculative, and she acknowledged her methodology was new and untested in the United States. The petitioner had no documented track record of national-level impact.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-28_03_B5203; source_row=17900 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The beneficiary's experience as a graphic designer with the petitioner could not count as qualifying because the petitioner failed to provide evidence (such as percentage of time on differing duties) showing that role was not substantially comparable to the offered senior designer position.…
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Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
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The beneficiary's experience as a graphic designer with the petitioner could not count as qualifying because the petitioner failed to provide evidence (such as percentage of time on differing duties) showing that role was not substantially comparable to the offered senior designer position. The remaining third-party qualifying experience totaled only 30.5 months, less than the 36 months required by the labor certification when combined with a master's degree.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-28_02_B5203; source_row=17898 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The labor certification requires a Master's degree in Graphic Design with no alternate field of study accepted. The beneficiary holds a Master's degree in Advertising, not Graphic Design. The petitioner's recruitment advertisements did not notify potential U.S.…
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
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The labor certification requires a Master's degree in Graphic Design with no alternate field of study accepted. The beneficiary holds a Master's degree in Advertising, not Graphic Design. The petitioner's recruitment advertisements did not notify potential U.S. workers that a Master's in Advertising would be acceptable, and the program website did not support the claim that the Advertising degree is equivalent to a Graphic Design degree.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-28_02_B5203; source_row=17897 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
national interest to a substantially greater degree than a U.S. worker
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO found the petitioner failed to show her past record of achievement influenced the field as a whole. She submitted no documentary evidence of publications; expert letters were partly duplicative and conclusory without specifics; conference presentations alone do not demonstrate field-wide influence; claims that protocols are used in medical centers lacked corroborating documentary evidence; and awards and memberships rel…
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 the petitioner failed to show her past record of achievement influenced the field as a whole. She submitted no documentary evidence of publications; expert letters were partly duplicative and conclusory without specifics; conference presentations alone do not demonstrate field-wide influence; claims that protocols are used in medical centers lacked corroborating documentary evidence; and awards and memberships relate only to exceptional ability, which is insufficient for the waiver.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-25_02_B5203; source_row=17896 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Medicine / Clinical
Issue evaluated
NIW · Well positioned
national in scope
Why the evidence was persuasive
AAO found that the petitioner's pediatric endocrinology research aimed at improving treatment for childhood diabetes would substantially benefit the U.S. healthcare system and that the documentation was sufficient to show national scope, withdrawing the director's finding on this prong.
Why this is useful
Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.
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AAO found that the petitioner's pediatric endocrinology research aimed at improving treatment for childhood diabetes would substantially benefit the U.S. healthcare system and that the documentation was sufficient to show national scope, withdrawing the director's finding on this prong.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-25_02_B5203; source_row=17895 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
NIW · Well positioned
national in scope
Why the evidence was persuasive
AAO found that the director gave undue emphasis to the beneficiary's clinical duties while ignoring his leadership in national organizations and his policy work that had national reach. The record established that the benefit from the beneficiary's employment is national in scope.
Why this is useful
Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.
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AAO found that the director gave undue emphasis to the beneficiary's clinical duties while ignoring his leadership in national organizations and his policy work that had national reach. The record established that the benefit from the beneficiary's employment is national in scope.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-25_01_B5203; source_row=17892 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial intrinsic merit
Why the evidence was persuasive
The field of occupational and environmental medicine was not disputed as having substantial intrinsic merit; the director's only basis for denial was the national interest showing.
Why this is useful
Compare how the decision separates a broadly important field from the prospective impact of the applicant’s specific work.
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The field of occupational and environmental medicine was not disputed as having substantial intrinsic merit; the director's only basis for denial was the national interest showing.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-25_01_B5203; source_row=17891 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c