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 21561–21570

NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest served to a substantially greater degree than available U.S. workers

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner failed to establish that she serves the national interest to a substantially greater degree than available U.S. workers. Counsel made little effort to distinguish her from other qualified teachers, and neither the petitioner nor her witnesses claimed she played any nationally significant role. General arguments about the importance of education do not exempt every teacher from the job offer requirement.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

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The petitioner failed to establish that she serves the national interest to a substantially greater degree than available U.S. workers. Counsel made little effort to distinguish her from other qualified teachers, and neither the petitioner nor her witnesses claimed she played any nationally significant role. General arguments about the importance of education do not exempt every teacher from the job offer requirement.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_01_B5203; source_row=16351
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

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

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO finds the witness letters amount to general praise, the news articles featured the petitioner only as illustrative of a hiring trend, and the certificates show originality but not influence on the field. Salary, degrees, and experience reflect exceptional ability factors, which do not waive the job offer requirement.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

View full reasoning +
AAO finds the witness letters amount to general praise, the news articles featured the petitioner only as illustrative of a hiring trend, and the certificates show originality but not influence on the field. Salary, degrees, and experience reflect exceptional ability factors, which do not waive the job offer requirement.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_04_B5203; source_row=16369
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found that legal advice and assistance provided by a credentialed professional has substantial intrinsic merit, disagreeing with the director's characterization.

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 legal advice and assistance provided by a credentialed professional has substantial intrinsic merit, disagreeing with the director's characterization.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_03_B5203; source_row=16364
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner did not submit evidence showing her intended employment would involve a national rather than local clientele. Given that she had already worked for the employer for several years, such evidence should have been available.

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

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The petitioner did not submit evidence showing her intended employment would involve a national rather than local clientele. Given that she had already worked for the employer for several years, such evidence should have been available.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_03_B5203; source_row=16365
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest substantially greater than U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner has not established a demonstrable history of influential achievement. Possession of professional credentials, bicultural background, and employment history do not constitute influential achievement, and she provided no statistics or documentary evidence that her work created significant numbers of jobs or produced outcomes unobtainable by other attorneys.

Why this is useful

See which endeavor-specific facts mattered to the waiver analysis beyond a preference to self-petition.

View full reasoning +
The petitioner has not established a demonstrable history of influential achievement. Possession of professional credentials, bicultural background, and employment history do not constitute influential achievement, and she provided no statistics or documentary evidence that her work created significant numbers of jobs or produced outcomes unobtainable by other attorneys.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_03_B5203; source_row=16366
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other24 citations

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

The director acknowledged the intrinsic merit of the petitioner's profession, and the AAO did not dispute this finding.

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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The director acknowledged the intrinsic merit of the petitioner's profession, and the AAO did not dispute this finding.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_02_B5203; source_row=16356
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other24 citations

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's publications were limited to two case reports (not original research), citation data related to only one article from 2004-2005 with no subsequent publications, and support letters came predominantly from colleagues at the same institution rather than independent national figures.

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

View full reasoning +
The petitioner's publications were limited to two case reports (not original research), citation data related to only one article from 2004-2005 with no subsequent publications, and support letters came predominantly from colleagues at the same institution rather than independent national figures.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_02_B5203; source_row=16357
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

The record contained no evidence that the petitioner's work has had any impact beyond the local districts where she served, and her claimed STEM specialization was unsupported. General arguments about the national importance of education do not establish that one teacher's work is national in scope.

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

View full reasoning +
The record contained no evidence that the petitioner's work has had any impact beyond the local districts where she served, and her claimed STEM specialization was unsupported. General arguments about the national importance of education do not establish that one teacher's work is national in scope.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_01_B5203; source_row=16350
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO acknowledged that education has intrinsic merit and that the petitioner's counsel's arguments addressed the substantial intrinsic merit prong, but noted this alone is insufficient and that the petitioner's claimed STEM specialization was unsupported.

Why this is useful

Compare how the decision separates a broadly important field from the prospective impact of the applicant’s specific work.

View full reasoning +
The AAO acknowledged that education has intrinsic merit and that the petitioner's counsel's arguments addressed the substantial intrinsic merit prong, but noted this alone is insufficient and that the petitioner's claimed STEM specialization was unsupported.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_01_B5203; source_row=16349
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 rejects counsel's argument that mention of an occupation in federal legislation renders work national in scope, and finds the national importance of education as a concept does not lend national scope to the work of a single kindergarten teacher.

Why this is useful

Identify the progress, resources, outside interest, or record-to-plan connection that AAO expected to see.

View full reasoning +
AAO rejects counsel's argument that mention of an occupation in federal legislation renders work national in scope, and finds the national importance of education as a concept does not lend national scope to the work of a single kindergarten teacher.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2013-05-10_04_B5203; source_row=16368
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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