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 24291–24300

NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

advanced degree or foreign equivalent

Why the evidence was persuasive

Relying on EDGE, AAO concluded the beneficiary's three-year MCA from DOEACC is comparable to a U.S. master's degree, satisfying the advanced degree requirement.

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Relying on EDGE, AAO concluded the beneficiary's three-year MCA from DOEACC is comparable to a U.S. master's degree, satisfying the advanced degree requirement.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-12_03_B5203; source_row=13146
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

other

beneficiary meets ETA Form 9089 job requirements

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found the beneficiary's MCA constitutes a foreign equivalent master's degree and thus meets the Part H job requirements.

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AAO found the beneficiary's MCA constitutes a foreign equivalent master's degree and thus meets the Part H job requirements.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-12_03_B5203; source_row=13147
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material about the alien

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found that articles citing the petitioner's work are primarily about the authors' own work or recent developments in the field and are not 'about the alien' as required by the regulation. Even the review articles only briefly reference the petitioner's work alongside numerous other researchers, and the regulation requires the material be about the alien relating to her work, not merely about her work.

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The AAO found that articles citing the petitioner's work are primarily about the authors' own work or recent developments in the field and are not 'about the alien' as required by the regulation. Even the review articles only briefly reference the petitioner's work alongside numerous other researchers, and the regulation requires the material be about the alien relating to her work, not merely about her work.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-12_02_B2203; source_row=13142
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Biomedical / Life Sciences

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles

Why the evidence was persuasive

The AAO found that the petitioner documented authorship of nine scholarly articles and a conference presentation and thus submitted qualifying evidence under criterion vi.

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The AAO found that the petitioner documented authorship of nine scholarly articles and a conference presentation and thus submitted qualifying evidence under criterion vi.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-12_02_B2203; source_row=13144
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

other

Job offer requires a professional holding an advanced degree

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO applied the plain-language rule for labor certifications and found that USCIS cannot look beyond the stated terms of the ETA Form 9089. Because the addendum allowed one year of experience per missing year of college, the minimum requirements did not require a bachelor's or master's degree, so the petition cannot establish the job requires an advanced-degree professional.

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AAO applied the plain-language rule for labor certifications and found that USCIS cannot look beyond the stated terms of the ETA Form 9089. Because the addendum allowed one year of experience per missing year of college, the minimum requirements did not require a bachelor's or master's degree, so the petition cannot establish the job requires an advanced-degree professional.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-09_01_B5203; source_row=13141
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

Possession of advanced degree or foreign equivalent

Why AAO was not persuaded

A three-year foreign bachelor's degree is not the foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree under Matter of Shah and the governing regulations. The experience-for-education equivalency relied upon by the evaluator applies only to H-1B nonimmigrant petitions and cannot be used to satisfy the bachelor's degree floor required for EB-2 immigrant classification.…

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A three-year foreign bachelor's degree is not the foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree under Matter of Shah and the governing regulations. The experience-for-education equivalency relied upon by the evaluator applies only to H-1B nonimmigrant petitions and cannot be used to satisfy the bachelor's degree floor required for EB-2 immigrant classification. EDGE confirms the degree represents only two to three years of U.S. university-level study.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-08_03_B5203; source_row=13138
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

advanced degree or foreign equivalent (or bachelor's plus 5 years progressive experience)

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed the credentials do not equal a U.S. advanced degree, additionally noting the MCA was only 1.5 years (not the standard 3-year MCA in EDGE), and that the petitioner failed to document five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience by the priority date.

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AAO agreed the credentials do not equal a U.S. advanced degree, additionally noting the MCA was only 1.5 years (not the standard 3-year MCA in EDGE), and that the petitioner failed to document five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience by the priority date.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-08_01_B5203; source_row=13136
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot established

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

single foreign equivalent degree to U.S. baccalaureate

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO held that a three-year Indian B.Com. is not a foreign equivalent of a U.S. four-year baccalaureate, and ICAI membership cannot supply that degree because ICAI is not a college or university.…

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AAO held that a three-year Indian B.Com. is not a foreign equivalent of a U.S. four-year baccalaureate, and ICAI membership cannot supply that degree because ICAI is not a college or university. The first evaluator improperly applied the H-1B three-for-one experience-substitution rule, and the second evaluator's reliance on ICAI as a degree-granting institution was inconsistent with the record showing the Punjab University coursework.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-08_04_B5203; source_row=13140
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

other

Beneficiary meets labor certification job requirements

Why AAO was not persuaded

The labor certification requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science or IT. Because the beneficiary's three-year Indian B.S. degree does not constitute a foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate, he fails to meet even the alternative minimum educational requirement on the certified job offer.

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The labor certification requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in computer science or IT. Because the beneficiary's three-year Indian B.S. degree does not constitute a foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate, he fails to meet even the alternative minimum educational requirement on the certified job offer.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-08_03_B5203; source_row=13139
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWotherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

other

beneficiary meets ETA Form 9089 minimum job requirements

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO read the ETA Form 9089 by its plain language and concluded the beneficiary lacks the required master's degree or foreign equivalent and that no combination of education and experience was authorized as an alternative.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO read the ETA Form 9089 by its plain language and concluded the beneficiary lacks the required master's degree or foreign equivalent and that no combination of education and experience was authorized as an alternative.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2011-09-08_01_B5203; source_row=13137
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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