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

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NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO disagreed with the Director on substantial merit (finding the endeavor falls within Dhanasar's contemplated areas) but agreed the endeavor lacks national importance. The Petitioner's evidence focused on the importance of IT generally and his own qualifications rather than the specific endeavor's broader prospective impact, and the business plan's revenue and employment projections were unsupported and insufficient to sh…

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AAO disagreed with the Director on substantial merit (finding the endeavor falls within Dhanasar's contemplated areas) but agreed the endeavor lacks national importance. The Petitioner's evidence focused on the importance of IT generally and his own qualifications rather than the specific endeavor's broader prospective impact, and the business plan's revenue and employment projections were unsupported and insufficient to show substantial positive economic effects.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_01_B5203; source_row=38392
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalPhysician

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that substantial merit existed (improving oral health of U.S. patients) but found national importance was not established. The business plan projections were unsupported, a general professional shortage does not make any individual dentist's work nationally important, the workshops lacked detail, and the expert letter did not demonstrate substantial positive economic effects at a national scale.

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AAO agreed that substantial merit existed (improving oral health of U.S. patients) but found national importance was not established. The business plan projections were unsupported, a general professional shortage does not make any individual dentist's work nationally important, the workshops lacked detail, and the expert letter did not demonstrate substantial positive economic effects at a national scale.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_04_B5203; source_row=38401
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that the proposed endeavor — working for one employer at a time and transferring generalized welding expertise to coworkers — benefits only the employer and immediate colleagues and does not carry the broader implications (e.g., improved manufacturing processes, significant employment of U.S. workers, positive economic effects) required to show national importance.…

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AAO agreed that the proposed endeavor — working for one employer at a time and transferring generalized welding expertise to coworkers — benefits only the employer and immediate colleagues and does not carry the broader implications (e.g., improved manufacturing processes, significant employment of U.S. workers, positive economic effects) required to show national importance. Generalized industry statistics do not address the specific endeavor's prospective impact.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_02_B5203; source_row=38395
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner's endeavor would only benefit individual clients and lacked broader national implications. Generalized articles on physical fitness did not connect the Petitioner's specific endeavor to national-level impact, and expert opinions are not the proper vehicle for demonstrating national importance of the endeavor itself.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner's endeavor would only benefit individual clients and lacked broader national implications. Generalized articles on physical fitness did not connect the Petitioner's specific endeavor to national-level impact, and expert opinions are not the proper vehicle for demonstrating national importance of the endeavor itself.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_07_B5203; source_row=38408
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that the Petitioner established substantial merit but not national importance. While background articles on food insecurity and food deserts address important national issues, the Petitioner failed to show that her specific proposed endeavor—opening a mixed-use grocery store in Georgia and later expanding—would have broader implications rising to national importance.…

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AAO agreed that the Petitioner established substantial merit but not national importance. While background articles on food insecurity and food deserts address important national issues, the Petitioner failed to show that her specific proposed endeavor—opening a mixed-use grocery store in Georgia and later expanding—would have broader implications rising to national importance. Her business plan's revenue and job-creation projections were not shown to have substantial positive economic effects regionally or nationally.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_03_B5203; source_row=38398
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWexceptional ability otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

exceptional ability other

membership in professional associations

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner did not assert this criterion, and AAO found no sufficient documentary evidence to establish it.

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The Petitioner did not assert this criterion, and AAO found no sufficient documentary evidence to establish it.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_11_B5203; source_row=38426
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWexceptional ability otherEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

exceptional ability other

ten years full-time experience

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director that the employment letters furnished in response to the RFE demonstrated ten years of full-time experience in the engineering field.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the employment letters furnished in response to the RFE demonstrated ten years of full-time experience in the engineering field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_11_B5203; source_row=38423
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWexceptional ability otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

exceptional ability other

license or certification to practice the profession

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that neither the vocational high school diploma nor completion of five training courses was comparable to a professional license or certification. The Petitioner provided no supporting evidence establishing the requirements for those training courses or that they demonstrated the same caliber of expertise as licensure or certification.

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AAO found that neither the vocational high school diploma nor completion of five training courses was comparable to a professional license or certification. The Petitioner provided no supporting evidence establishing the requirements for those training courses or that they demonstrated the same caliber of expertise as licensure or certification.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_11_B5203; source_row=38424
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWexceptional ability otherEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Issue evaluated

exceptional ability other

official academic record

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director that the vocational high school diploma as an electrical and electronic technician, relating to engineering, satisfies this criterion.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the vocational high school diploma as an electrical and electronic technician, relating to engineering, satisfies this criterion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_11_B5203; source_row=38422
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
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NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

advanced degree or equivalent qualification

Why AAO was not persuaded

The Petitioner's Work and Social Security Digital Permit is not a letter from a current or former employer. The seven colleague letters do not identify their authors as employers or supervisors of the Petitioner, and the Petitioner does not assert that employer letters are unavailable. Therefore, the regulatory requirement is not satisfied.

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The Petitioner's Work and Social Security Digital Permit is not a letter from a current or former employer. The seven colleague letters do not identify their authors as employers or supervisors of the Petitioner, and the Petitioner does not assert that employer letters are unavailable. Therefore, the regulatory requirement is not satisfied.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-06-25_09_B5203; source_row=38415
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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