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 20261–20270

EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsNot established

Case facts

Civil / Structural Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

prizes or awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner failed to demonstrate receipt of the Young Engineer of the Year Award (the certificate reflected a 'Young Engineer Paper' award, not the same thing), failed to establish a claimed fellowship was nationally/internationally recognized, and academic scholarships/fellowships are not nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field.

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The petitioner failed to demonstrate receipt of the Young Engineer of the Year Award (the certificate reflected a 'Young Engineer Paper' award, not the same thing), failed to establish a claimed fellowship was nationally/internationally recognized, and academic scholarships/fellowships are not nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B2203; source_row=17804
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot established

Case facts

Civil / Structural Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

membership in associations

Why AAO was not persuaded

The association's bylaws showed membership was open based on education or experience, not outstanding achievements; the committees are not associations in their own right; and merely repeating the statutory language in a support letter is insufficient. AAO also noted that the criterion requires membership in more than one association.

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The association's bylaws showed membership was open based on education or experience, not outstanding achievements; the committees are not associations in their own right; and merely repeating the statutory language in a support letter is insufficient. AAO also noted that the criterion requires membership in more than one association.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B2203; source_row=17805
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot established

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalMaster’s

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

beneficiary holds advanced degree or foreign equivalent

Why AAO was not persuaded

EDGE rates the three-year Indian B.S. as equivalent to three years of U.S. undergraduate study and the Indian M.S. as equivalent only to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The California license does not establish equivalency because the licensing board itself stated it did not find the Indian credentials equivalent to a U.S. master's degree. Additional U.S.…

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EDGE rates the three-year Indian B.S. as equivalent to three years of U.S. undergraduate study and the Indian M.S. as equivalent only to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The California license does not establish equivalency because the licensing board itself stated it did not find the Indian credentials equivalent to a U.S. master's degree. Additional U.S. coursework brought the beneficiary to the 30-unit threshold needed for the RPE license but did not result in a U.S. master's degree.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B5203; source_row=17810
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot pursuedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Civil / Structural Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material about the alien

What the decision said

The petitioner accepted the director's decision on this criterion during the RFE response and did not contest it on appeal, therefore abandoning the claim.

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The petitioner accepted the director's decision on this criterion during the RFE response and did not contest it on appeal, therefore abandoning the claim.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B2203; source_row=17806
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Civil / Structural Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

scholarly articles

Why the evidence was persuasive

A review of the record confirmed the petitioner submitted sufficient documentary evidence establishing he meets the plain language of the regulation.

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A review of the record confirmed the petitioner submitted sufficient documentary evidence establishing he meets the plain language of the regulation.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B2203; source_row=17808
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other13 papers

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why the evidence was persuasive

The AAO found that the benefit from the petitioner's work is national in scope because research results appear in widely-published journals.

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The AAO found that the benefit from the petitioner's work is national in scope because research results appear in widely-published journals.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_02_B5203; source_row=17814
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other13 papers

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

The AAO found that the petitioner's field of research has substantial intrinsic merit, as his work on ibuprofen purification and troponin function addresses significant medical and health concerns.

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The AAO found that the petitioner's field of research has substantial intrinsic merit, as his work on ibuprofen purification and troponin function addresses significant medical and health concerns.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_02_B5203; source_row=17813
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other13 papers

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest substantially greater than U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found that the witness letters lacked corroboration and contained inconsistencies (e.g., conflicting attributions of the same study to 'a team of French experts' vs. 'a joint team of researchers from Spain and France') and strikingly similar language suggesting a common source.…

Why this is useful

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The AAO found that the witness letters lacked corroboration and contained inconsistencies (e.g., conflicting attributions of the same study to 'a team of French experts' vs. 'a joint team of researchers from Spain and France') and strikingly similar language suggesting a common source. The citation record showed only nine independent citations over eight years, and the petitioner failed to establish that this constituted a high citation rate or that his work had significant influence on the field. Peer review and grant review invitations were not shown to be based on the petitioner's recognized expertise.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_02_B5203; source_row=17815
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalMaster’s

Issue evaluated

other

master's degree in Audiology/Speech Language Pathology or related field

Why AAO was not persuaded

Because the beneficiary holds only the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree under EDGE, and the labor certification requires a master's degree with no alternate combinations permitted, the minimum educational requirement is not met.

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Because the beneficiary holds only the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree under EDGE, and the labor certification requires a master's degree with no alternate combinations permitted, the minimum educational requirement is not met.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B5203; source_row=17811
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalMaster’s

Issue evaluated

other

license in Speech Language Pathology by priority date

Why AAO was not persuaded

The temporary RPE license issued November 1, 2010 was only for supervised clinical experience purposes under California Business and Professional Code § 2532.7 and did not constitute a full speech pathology license. A full license was not issued until December 15, 2011, after the May 4, 2011 priority date.

Why this is useful

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The temporary RPE license issued November 1, 2010 was only for supervised clinical experience purposes under California Business and Professional Code § 2532.7 and did not constitute a full speech pathology license. A full license was not issued until December 15, 2011, after the May 4, 2011 priority date.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-04-08_01_B5203; source_row=17812
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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