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 20191–20200
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
NIW · Waiver on balance
national interest substantially greater than available U.S. worker
Why the evidence was persuasive
AAO found that the OEM community recognizes the significance of the beneficiary's past and present endeavors beyond the intrinsic importance of the overall field, and that the benefit of retaining his services outweighs the national interest inherent in the labor certification process.
Why this is useful
See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.
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AAO found that the OEM community recognizes the significance of the beneficiary's past and present endeavors beyond the intrinsic importance of the overall field, and that the benefit of retaining his services outweighs the national interest inherent in the labor certification process.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-25_01_B5203; source_row=17893 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The graduate school award was limited to graduates of a specific program and there was no evidence it is nationally or internationally recognized. The community service certificate was awarded for community work, not for excellence in psychology, and no documentary evidence supported the petitioner's claim that it was nationally recognized as an award for excellence in the field.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
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The graduate school award was limited to graduates of a specific program and there was no evidence it is nationally or internationally recognized. The community service certificate was awarded for community work, not for excellence in psychology, and no documentary evidence supported the petitioner's claim that it was nationally recognized as an award for excellence in the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-23_02_B2203; source_row=17887 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
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
The expert letters describe the petitioner's useful work on Antarctic instrumentation and mercury dimer spectroscopy but do not establish that her contributions rose to major significance in the field as a whole.…
Why this is useful
Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.
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The expert letters describe the petitioner's useful work on Antarctic instrumentation and mercury dimer spectroscopy but do not establish that her contributions rose to major significance in the field as a whole. Citation counts per article were low (maximum five independent citations), and evidence of conference presentations, peer review participation, and letters of support do not substitute for documentary proof of major field-wide impact.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-23_01_B2203; source_row=17883 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Other
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Published material
published material about the alien
Why AAO was not persuaded
Articles from major publications did not mention the petitioner and were abandoned on appeal. Citation evidence does not qualify because articles citing the petitioner's work are primarily about the authors' own work, 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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Articles from major publications did not mention the petitioner and were abandoned on appeal. Citation evidence does not qualify because articles citing the petitioner's work are primarily about the authors' own work, not about the petitioner. Letters of support are not published material, and the comparable evidence argument fails because the petitioner did not show the standard criteria are inapplicable to physical scientists.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-23_01_B2203; source_row=17881 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot pursuedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Social Sciences
Issue evaluated
EB-1A · Original contributions
original contributions of major significance
What the decision said
The petitioner repeated the same list of materials on appeal without addressing the director's findings or explaining why they should be considered more persuasive, thereby abandoning the issue.
Why this is useful
Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.
View full reasoning +
The petitioner repeated the same list of materials on appeal without addressing the director's findings or explaining why they should be considered more persuasive, thereby abandoning the issue.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-23_02_B2203; source_row=17888 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
The petitioner documented authorship of scholarly articles in professional publications, meeting this criterion. The AAO disagreed with the director's finding that the criterion was not met.
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 documented authorship of scholarly articles in professional publications, meeting this criterion. The AAO disagreed with the director's finding that the criterion was not met.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-23_01_B2203; source_row=17884 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Mathematics / Statistics
Issue evaluated
NIW · Waiver on balance
national interest waiver eligibility (overall)
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO noted that the petitioner's significant claims — that her work served as a model to school systems nationally and that her online postings were groundbreaking and well received — were not substantiated. At most, the petitioner showed she posted lesson plans on a website and received comments from two teachers at her school and four students over a 16-hour period.
Why this is useful
See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.
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AAO noted that the petitioner's significant claims — that her work served as a model to school systems nationally and that her online postings were groundbreaking and well received — were not substantiated. At most, the petitioner showed she posted lesson plans on a website and received comments from two teachers at her school and four students over a 16-hour period.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-22_01_B5203; source_row=17876 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Foreign degree equivalency (Philippine BS Physical Therapy as at least U.S. baccalaureate)
Why the evidence was persuasive
The AAO found that while the petitioner failed to establish the Philippine BS in Physical Therapy is the equivalent of a U.S. master's degree, EDGE confirms it is at minimum the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree. Combined with the documented five-plus years of progressive experience, this satisfies the regulatory advanced degree definition and the labor certification's alternate combination requirement.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
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The AAO found that while the petitioner failed to establish the Philippine BS in Physical Therapy is the equivalent of a U.S. master's degree, EDGE confirms it is at minimum the equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree. Combined with the documented five-plus years of progressive experience, this satisfies the regulatory advanced degree definition and the labor certification's alternate combination requirement.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-22_02_B5203; source_row=17877 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c