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 20371–20380

NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

serve national interest to a substantially greater degree than an available U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO affirms; the record lacks evidence of citations to the article or comparable indicia of influence, and the ability to secure grant funding does not differentiate the petitioner from other capable researchers or show influence on the field.

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 affirms; the record lacks evidence of citations to the article or comparable indicia of influence, and the ability to secure grant funding does not differentiate the petitioner from other capable researchers or show influence on the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-19_01_B5203; source_row=17693
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO does not disturb the director's finding that the field has 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.

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AAO does not disturb the director's finding that the field has substantial intrinsic merit.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-19_01_B5203; source_row=17691
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO affirms that the petitioner has not shown his work at the time of filing had benefits national in scope; the new article and grant post-date the filing and cannot be considered.

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 affirms that the petitioner has not shown his work at the time of filing had benefits national in scope; the new article and grant post-date the filing and cannot be considered.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-19_01_B5203; source_row=17692
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

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

AAO found that the petitioner failed to establish that her past record of achievement is at a level sufficient to demonstrate influence on the field as a whole or that she serves the national interest to a substantially greater degree than similarly qualified U.S. special education teachers.…

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 petitioner failed to establish that her past record of achievement is at a level sufficient to demonstrate influence on the field as a whole or that she serves the national interest to a substantially greater degree than similarly qualified U.S. special education teachers. The NCLBA 'Highly Qualified' standard does not set requirements more stringent than normal job qualifications, and labor shortages are not a basis for a national interest waiver.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-18_02_B5203; source_row=17690
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / Clinical

Issue evaluated

other

Beneficiary meets minimum education requirement on ETA Form 9089 (master's degree in physical therapy or foreign equivalent)

Why AAO was not persuaded

EDGE and AACRAO confirm that a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the Philippines is comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The fact that the U.S. stopped offering baccalaureate PT programs after 2001 does not retroactively elevate the beneficiary's 1996 degree.…

Why this is useful

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EDGE and AACRAO confirm that a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the Philippines is comparable to a U.S. bachelor's degree. The fact that the U.S. stopped offering baccalaureate PT programs after 2001 does not retroactively elevate the beneficiary's 1996 degree. FCCPT's credentialing authority is limited to admissibility purposes and is not binding on DHS for purposes of determining whether the degree meets the ETA Form 9089 requirements. The FIS evaluation was unsupported by documentary evidence, relied in part on EDGE without addressing EDGE's contrary finding, and was internally inconsistent with the FCCPT evaluation on credit counts.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-18_01_B5203; source_row=17686
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

progressive post-baccalaureate experience equivalent to advanced degree

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found the letters from school staff and professional development certificates sufficient to demonstrate advancing levels of responsibility and knowledge, establishing more than five years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience in teaching.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO found the letters from school staff and professional development certificates sufficient to demonstrate advancing levels of responsibility and knowledge, establishing more than five years of progressive post-baccalaureate experience in teaching.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-18_02_B5203; source_row=17687
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 reference letters discussed only the petitioner's individual school-level performance and did not demonstrate national-level impact. NYSDOT itself identified a single elementary school teacher as an example of an occupation where the individual worker would not produce benefits national in scope. A local-scale contribution to an overall national effort does not meet the NYSDOT threshold.

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 reference letters discussed only the petitioner's individual school-level performance and did not demonstrate national-level impact. NYSDOT itself identified a single elementary school teacher as an example of an occupation where the individual worker would not produce benefits national in scope. A local-scale contribution to an overall national effort does not meet the NYSDOT threshold.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-18_02_B5203; source_row=17689
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 found that work as an elementary school special education 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.

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AAO found that work as an elementary school special education teacher is in an area of substantial intrinsic merit.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-18_02_B5203; source_row=17688
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWprocedural or otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

procedural or other

new facts supported by affidavits or documentary evidence

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO concluded the CPA letters do not present new facts that did not exist at the time of filing or appeal, and even if treated as new, would be insufficient to overcome the grounds of the prior decisions, particularly absent evidence that the underlying required evidence is unavailable or two non-party affidavits.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO concluded the CPA letters do not present new facts that did not exist at the time of filing or appeal, and even if treated as new, would be insufficient to overcome the grounds of the prior decisions, particularly absent evidence that the underlying required evidence is unavailable or two non-party affidavits.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-14_01_B5203; source_row=17685
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWprocedural or otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

procedural or other

timely filing / excuse for late filing

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO held the prior motion was untimely and the proffered explanation does not show the delay was beyond the affected party's control, so the basis for the prior untimeliness dismissal stands.

Why this is useful

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AAO held the prior motion was untimely and the proffered explanation does not show the delay was beyond the affected party's control, so the basis for the prior untimeliness dismissal stands.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2014-03-14_01_B5203; source_row=17684
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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