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 21291–21300

EB-1AEB-1A · MembershipNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Membership

Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Why AAO was not persuaded

Academy candidacy, OYL Selection Committee service, and ABA Day at the UN delegation participation all post-dated the filing date and could not be considered. Regardless, none of these equates to membership in an association requiring outstanding achievements judged by recognized national or international experts.…

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Academy candidacy, OYL Selection Committee service, and ABA Day at the UN delegation participation all post-dated the filing date and could not be considered. Regardless, none of these equates to membership in an association requiring outstanding achievements judged by recognized national or international experts. The comparable evidence argument also failed because the petitioner addressed more than half the criteria and did not explain why the standard criteria were inapplicable.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B2203; source_row=16643
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

Authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Member News announcement is not a scholarly article (not peer-reviewed, no references). The three scholarly articles post-dated the filing date and could not be considered. Additionally, the criterion requires authorship in the plural of publications, and the petitioner offered only one.

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The Member News announcement is not a scholarly article (not peer-reviewed, no references). The three scholarly articles post-dated the filing date and could not be considered. Additionally, the criterion requires authorship in the plural of publications, and the petitioner offered only one.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B2203; source_row=16647
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated 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 AAO was not persuaded

Foreign-language articles were accompanied by a deficient blanket translation and had no evidentiary value; English articles lacked circulation/distribution evidence; and self-serving claims of circulation in an editor's letter were not accepted.

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Foreign-language articles were accompanied by a deficient blanket translation and had no evidentiary value; English articles lacked circulation/distribution evidence; and self-serving claims of circulation in an editor's letter were not accepted.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_01_B2203; source_row=16636
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · AwardsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Awards

lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found the supporting letters were not primary evidence of national or international recognition, the petitioner did not establish significance of the publication, foreign-language documents had deficient blanket translations, and discrepancies regarding award dates were unresolved.

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The AAO found the supporting letters were not primary evidence of national or international recognition, the petitioner did not establish significance of the publication, foreign-language documents had deficient blanket translations, and discrepancies regarding award dates were unresolved.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_01_B2203; source_row=16635
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

other

ability to pay proffered wage

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's 2008 tax return showed negative net income and negative net current assets well below the $102,000 proffered wage, no wages were paid to the beneficiary in 2008, and the Sonegawa exception was not established.

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The petitioner's 2008 tax return showed negative net income and negative net current assets well below the $102,000 proffered wage, no wages were paid to the beneficiary in 2008, and the Sonegawa exception was not established.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B5203; source_row=16652
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

other

beneficiary qualifications matching labor certification requirements

Why AAO was not persuaded

The evaluator's conclusions lacked substantiation because the employment statements were internally inconsistent, contradicted the beneficiary's sworn ETA Form 9089 statements, and failed to show the required 60 months of experience designing and planning mechanical systems.

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The evaluator's conclusions lacked substantiation because the employment statements were internally inconsistent, contradicted the beneficiary's sworn ETA Form 9089 statements, and failed to show the required 60 months of experience designing and planning mechanical systems.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B5203; source_row=16651
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mathematics / StatisticsManager

Issue evaluated

other

60 months experience in alternate occupations (Accountant, Financial Analyst, Auditor, or Financial Manager)

Why AAO was not persuaded

The reference letter for one employer described duties inconsistent with a finance manager or accounting supervisor and contained a conflicting employment start date. The reference letter for the second employer failed to provide a specific description of duties as required by 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(g)(1).…

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The reference letter for one employer described duties inconsistent with a finance manager or accounting supervisor and contained a conflicting employment start date. The reference letter for the second employer failed to provide a specific description of duties as required by 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(g)(1). The third revised letter on appeal lacked letterhead, omitted explanation for the revised duty descriptions, and appeared designed to cure deficiencies after the fact, undermining its credibility.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_03_B5203; source_row=16654
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mathematics / StatisticsManager

Issue evaluated

other

60 months experience as Operations Research Analyst

Why AAO was not persuaded

The beneficiary's experience with the petitioner (about 7 months) was in the same position as the one offered, making it substantially comparable and therefore unusable as qualifying experience under DOL regulations. No other qualifying Operations Research Analyst experience was documented.

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The beneficiary's experience with the petitioner (about 7 months) was in the same position as the one offered, making it substantially comparable and therefore unusable as qualifying experience under DOL regulations. No other qualifying Operations Research Analyst experience was documented.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_03_B5203; source_row=16653
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

other

Statutory field eligibility (sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics)

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO raised this issue sua sponte and found that the practice of law is a profession under EB-2, not within the enumerated EB-1A fields, rendering the petitioner statutorily ineligible regardless of the evidentiary criteria analysis.

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AAO raised this issue sua sponte and found that the practice of law is a profession under EB-2, not within the enumerated EB-1A fields, rendering the petitioner statutorily ineligible regardless of the evidentiary criteria analysis.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B2203; source_row=16650
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

Judging the work of others in the field

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found the petitioner established this criterion based on his documented participation as a judge in the ABA moot court competition.

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AAO found the petitioner established this criterion based on his documented participation as a judge in the ABA moot court competition.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-06-21_02_B2203; source_row=16645
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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