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 20791–20800

EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO reversed the director's grant, finding the criterion requires scholarly articles in the plural in professional or major trade publications in the plural. The petitioner's single book in one publication is insufficient, and CD recordings and DVDs do not constitute scholarly articles.

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 AAO reversed the director's grant, finding the criterion requires scholarly articles in the plural in professional or major trade publications in the plural. The petitioner's single book in one publication is insufficient, and CD recordings and DVDs do not constitute scholarly articles.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_03_B2203; source_row=17231
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner failed to show his blog posts and online writings were published in professional or major trade publications or other major media, and the blog posts do not constitute scholarly articles because they represent personal opinions not subject to peer review and lack scholarly features such as footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, or charts.

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 failed to show his blog posts and online writings were published in professional or major trade publications or other major media, and the blog posts do not constitute scholarly articles because they represent personal opinions not subject to peer review and lack scholarly features such as footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, or charts.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17223
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material about the alien

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found: (1) most publications were not shown to be qualifying professional or major trade publications or major media; (2) most articles merely mentioned the petitioner rather than being about him relating to his work; (3) the petitioner abandoned the argument regarding the one article in a major publication found by the director; and (4) most articles filed on appeal post-dated the petition filing date.

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

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The AAO found: (1) most publications were not shown to be qualifying professional or major trade publications or major media; (2) most articles merely mentioned the petitioner rather than being about him relating to his work; (3) the petitioner abandoned the argument regarding the one article in a major publication found by the director; and (4) most articles filed on appeal post-dated the petition filing date.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17221
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

Although the petitioner made contributions to one company and developed two successful apps, the record lacked evidence that his work impacted the field beyond that single company, and reference letters were conclusory without showing field-wide significance.

Why this is useful

Distinguish original work from evidence that the contribution had major significance across the field.

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Although the petitioner made contributions to one company and developed two successful apps, the record lacked evidence that his work impacted the field beyond that single company, and reference letters were conclusory without showing field-wide significance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17222
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for distinguished organizations

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO reversed the director's finding on de novo review. Although the petitioner performed a critical role for one company with a distinguished reputation, the plain language of the criterion requires evidence of leading or critical roles for organizations in the plural (consistent with the statutory requirement for 'extensive documentation'). The petitioner did not show a qualifying role at a second organization.

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The AAO reversed the director's finding on de novo review. Although the petitioner performed a critical role for one company with a distinguished reputation, the plain language of the criterion requires evidence of leading or critical roles for organizations in the plural (consistent with the statutory requirement for 'extensive documentation'). The petitioner did not show a qualifying role at a second organization.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17224
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · High remuneration

high salary or significantly high remuneration

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO declined to consider this criterion because the director's RFE had specifically requested evidence on salary and compensation in the field, and the petitioner failed to submit any evidence or assertion on this point in the RFE response.

Why this is useful

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The AAO declined to consider this criterion because the director's RFE had specifically requested evidence on salary and compensation in the field, and the petitioner failed to submit any evidence or assertion on this point in the RFE response.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17225
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

prizes or awards for excellence

Why the evidence was persuasive

The petitioner's 2008 first place win in the open fiddle category and 2012 second place at the Appalachian Stringband Festival constitute lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes. Other claimed awards (fiddle convention placements, Canadian music program) were insufficient due to lack of independent corroboration of national/international recognition.

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The petitioner's 2008 first place win in the open fiddle category and 2012 second place at the Appalachian Stringband Festival constitute lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes. Other claimed awards (fiddle convention placements, Canadian music program) were insufficient due to lack of independent corroboration of national/international recognition.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_03_B2203; source_row=17227
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging the work of others

Why the evidence was persuasive

The petitioner judged fiddle and stringband competitions at major festivals in 2011 and 2009, evaluating over 150 competitors, satisfying this criterion across musical performance, ethnomusicology, and program directing fields.

Why this is useful

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The petitioner judged fiddle and stringband competitions at major festivals in 2011 and 2009, evaluating over 150 competitors, satisfying this criterion across musical performance, ethnomusicology, and program directing fields.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_03_B2203; source_row=17229
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialEstablishedAutomated 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 the evidence was persuasive

The AAO found the director erred regarding the book reviews in ethnomusicology: three reviews published in professional publications discuss both the petitioner's book and the petitioner herself, satisfying the criterion as an ethnomusicologist.…

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 the director erred regarding the book reviews in ethnomusicology: three reviews published in professional publications discuss both the petitioner's book and the petitioner herself, satisfying the criterion as an ethnomusicologist. However, the petitioner did not meet this criterion for musical performance because she failed to show the trade magazines had sufficient circulation to qualify as major trade publications.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_03_B2203; source_row=17228
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Final meritsReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Final merits

final merits determination

What the decision said

AAO declined to reach the final merits determination because the petitioner failed to satisfy the antecedent regulatory requirement of presenting evidence under at least three criteria.

Why this is useful

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AAO declined to reach the final merits determination because the petitioner failed to satisfy the antecedent regulatory requirement of presenting evidence under at least three criteria.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-11-13_02_B2203; source_row=17226
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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