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 261270

NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AIResearch Scientist

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO finds substantial merit is not in dispute but concludes national importance is not established because the proposed endeavor is defined through work for a specific employer, and assertions of wider impact are not corroborated by sufficient evidence of broader field-level or economic implications.

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 finds substantial merit is not in dispute but concludes national importance is not established because the proposed endeavor is defined through work for a specific employer, and assertions of wider impact are not corroborated by sufficient evidence of broader field-level or economic implications.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_02_B5203; source_row=44904
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Electrical / Electronic Engineering

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found the Petitioner's arguments focused on the general importance of the telecommunications/fiber optics industry rather than on how his specific individual company's services would produce broader regional or national impacts.…

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 the Petitioner's arguments focused on the general importance of the telecommunications/fiber optics industry rather than on how his specific individual company's services would produce broader regional or national impacts. His business plan figures were unsupported and insufficient to show substantial positive economic effects at a national level, and his support letters addressed only his personal skills rather than the national importance of the endeavor itself.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_01_B5203; source_row=44895
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot addressedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · High remuneration

high salary

What the decision said

The AAO did not separately address the high salary criterion; it was noted only as one of two criteria SCOPS found met, and the AAO's analysis focused on withdrawing the judging criterion finding and evaluating the criteria argued on appeal.

Why this is useful

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

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The AAO did not separately address the high salary criterion; it was noted only as one of two criteria SCOPS found met, and the AAO's analysis focused on withdrawing the judging criterion finding and evaluating the criteria argued on appeal.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_02_B2203; source_row=44902
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Artistic displayNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Artistic display

artistic display

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO found the Petitioner's unsupported assertions about comparable evidence were insufficient, and that he failed to produce original conference programs or reliable evidence confirming his presentations, leaving the authenticity of his claimed participation in question.

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 Petitioner's unsupported assertions about comparable evidence were insufficient, and that he failed to produce original conference programs or reliable evidence confirming his presentations, leaving the authenticity of his claimed participation in question.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_02_B2203; source_row=44900
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why AAO was not persuaded

The AAO agreed that the Petitioner's work, while showing adoption by a few entities, did not demonstrate broad influence over the field as a whole. The expert letters lacked specific details explaining unusual influence or high impact, and the conference presentation record was unverified and non-specific.

Why this is useful

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

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The AAO agreed that the Petitioner's work, while showing adoption by a few entities, did not demonstrate broad influence over the field as a whole. The expert letters lacked specific details explaining unusual influence or high impact, and the conference presentation record was unverified and non-specific.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_02_B2203; source_row=44899
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · JudgingEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Chemistry / Chemical Engineering1,454 citations32 reviews

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Judging

judging

Why the evidence was persuasive

Both SCOPS and AAO found the Petitioner submitted evidence of participation as a judge of others' work in his field.

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Both SCOPS and AAO found the Petitioner submitted evidence of participation as a judge of others' work in his field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_01_B2203; source_row=44892
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Chemistry / Chemical Engineering1,454 citations32 reviews

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

scholarly articles

Why the evidence was persuasive

Both SCOPS and AAO found the Petitioner met the scholarly articles criterion through his 45 peer-reviewed research 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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Both SCOPS and AAO found the Petitioner met the scholarly articles criterion through his 45 peer-reviewed research articles.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_01_B2203; source_row=44893
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Original contributionsEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Chemistry / Chemical Engineering1,454 citations32 reviews

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Original contributions

original contributions of major significance

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO found SCOPS erred by discounting detailed, corroborated expert letters from independent researchers describing the Petitioner's development of novel polymer-based nanodiscs, which revolutionized the study of membrane proteins relevant to diseases like Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis, and type-2 diabetes.…

Why this is useful

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

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AAO found SCOPS erred by discounting detailed, corroborated expert letters from independent researchers describing the Petitioner's development of novel polymer-based nanodiscs, which revolutionized the study of membrane proteins relevant to diseases like Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis, and type-2 diabetes. High citation counts (1,454 citations) and commercialization of patented polymers provided additional support for major significance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-09_01_B2203; source_row=44894
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AIPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that substantial merit was demonstrated but found that the evidence—including letters of support, citation analysis, and descriptions of research use by others—only showed incremental contributions to the field.…

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 agreed that substantial merit was demonstrated but found that the evidence—including letters of support, citation analysis, and descriptions of research use by others—only showed incremental contributions to the field. The letters failed to explain how the Petitioner's specific individual work rises to national importance, and the broad policy-level evidence addressed the importance of the field generally rather than the Petitioner's specific endeavor.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-07_01_B5203; source_row=44889
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AIPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

What the decision said

AAO declined to reach the second prong because the failure to meet the first prong was dispositive of the appeal.

Why this is useful

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

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AAO declined to reach the second prong because the failure to meet the first prong was dispositive of the appeal.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2026-03-07_01_B5203; source_row=44890
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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