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 23891–23900

NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

national interest served to substantially greater degree than a U.S. worker with same minimum qualifications

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found that witness letters attested only to the beneficiary's professional competence without concrete demonstration of his impact on the field as a whole, and the conference paper lacked evidence of its importance or impact. Demonstrating expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered is not sufficient to qualify for a national interest waiver.

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 AAO found that witness letters attested only to the beneficiary's professional competence without concrete demonstration of his impact on the field as a whole, and the conference paper lacked evidence of its importance or impact. Demonstrating expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered is not sufficient to qualify for a national interest waiver.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_02_B5203; source_row=13587
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 a U.S. worker

Why AAO was not persuaded

The petitioner's role appears to be technical support and quality control for others doing research, and his contributions have not been shown to have influenced his field as a whole. His prior approved I-140 with labor certification demonstrates only that his employer obtained a labor certification, not national interest waiver eligibility.

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's role appears to be technical support and quality control for others doing research, and his contributions have not been shown to have influenced his field as a whole. His prior approved I-140 with labor certification demonstrates only that his employer obtained a labor certification, not national interest waiver eligibility.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_03_B5203; source_row=13590
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceNot established

Case facts

Biomedical / Life 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 concluded the petitioner failed this prong, but on a different rationale: the petitioner abandoned the research career that formed the sole basis for the waiver, leaving postdoctoral research for non-research employment and then law school, undermining the prospective national benefit projection.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
AAO concluded the petitioner failed this prong, but on a different rationale: the petitioner abandoned the research career that formed the sole basis for the waiver, leaving postdoctoral research for non-research employment and then law school, undermining the prospective national benefit projection.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_01_B5203; source_row=13577
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Civil / Structural Engineering

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found the TAP service and NCHRP panel membership provided sufficient evidence of judging others' work in the field, but excluded the ICCPT2010 email as post-filing evidence.

Why this is useful

See how invitations, completed assignments, and the nature of judging were documented and weighed.

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AAO found the TAP service and NCHRP panel membership provided sufficient evidence of judging others' work in the field, but excluded the ICCPT2010 email as post-filing evidence.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_01_B2203; source_row=13571
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why the evidence was persuasive

Both the director and AAO recognized that the proposed benefit is national in scope.

Why this is useful

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

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Both the director and AAO recognized that the proposed benefit is national in scope.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_02_B5203; source_row=13586
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

Both the director and AAO acknowledged that the beneficiary's work in network routing and switching 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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Both the director and AAO acknowledged that the beneficiary's work in network routing and switching has substantial intrinsic merit.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_02_B5203; source_row=13585
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot addressedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

What the decision said

The AAO did not separately address the first NYSDOT factor regarding substantial intrinsic merit, though the overall importance of the petitioner's field was not disputed.

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 did not separately address the first NYSDOT factor regarding substantial intrinsic merit, though the overall importance of the petitioner's field was not disputed.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_03_B5203; source_row=13588
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 AAO found that while the overall project may have national scope, the petitioner did not show that his individual contributions as a technical support worker are national in scope. The technical report was prepared primarily for internal purposes without peer review and was not shown to disseminate findings that others could replicate.

Why this is useful

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

View full reasoning +
The AAO found that while the overall project may have national scope, the petitioner did not show that his individual contributions as a technical support worker are national in scope. The technical report was prepared primarily for internal purposes without peer review and was not shown to disseminate findings that others could replicate.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_03_B5203; source_row=13589
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial intrinsic merit

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO did not disturb the director's conclusion that the petitioner's field has 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.

View full reasoning +
AAO did not disturb the director's conclusion that the petitioner's field has intrinsic merit.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_01_B5203; source_row=13575
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

national in scope

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO did not disturb the director's conclusion that the work was 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 +
AAO did not disturb the director's conclusion that the work was national in scope.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2012-01-05_01_B5203; source_row=13576
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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