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 4931–4940

NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found the employment and wage projections inconsistent between the brief and business plan, and therefore credited neither. The HUBZone assertions were contradicted by the registered address in the articles of incorporation and lacked evidence of SBA HUBZone program participation.…

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AAO found the employment and wage projections inconsistent between the brief and business plan, and therefore credited neither. The HUBZone assertions were contradicted by the registered address in the articles of incorporation and lacked evidence of SBA HUBZone program participation. The expert opinion letter was given little weight due to material inconsistencies between the expert's description of the Petitioner's work (in media and entertainment) and the Petitioner's stated proposed endeavor (sales and marketing consulting for nonprofits).
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-06_01_B5203; source_row=37403
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Business / Management

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO adopted and affirmed the Director's analysis, finding the Petitioner still had not provided corroborating evidence that her company's staffing levels and business activities would provide substantial economic benefits regionally or to the United States, or that her endeavor has national or global implications.

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AAO adopted and affirmed the Director's analysis, finding the Petitioner still had not provided corroborating evidence that her company's staffing levels and business activities would provide substantial economic benefits regionally or to the United States, or that her endeavor has national or global implications.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-06_06_B5203; source_row=37422
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 found that while the Director credited the Petitioner with establishing substantial merit, the Petitioner failed to demonstrate national importance. The alleged shortage of IT professionals does not render the endeavor nationally important, the Petitioner's skills relate to prong two not prong one, and the record lacks specific projections of economic impact or job creation attributable to his particular services.

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AAO found that while the Director credited the Petitioner with establishing substantial merit, the Petitioner failed to demonstrate national importance. The alleged shortage of IT professionals does not render the endeavor nationally important, the Petitioner's skills relate to prong two not prong one, and the record lacks specific projections of economic impact or job creation attributable to his particular services.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_03_B5203; source_row=37378
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 with the Director that the Petitioner failed to show national importance, finding that the economic impacts would be incremental and nominal, with no showing of broader national or global implications, significant employment effects, or advancement of U.S. strategic interests.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner failed to show national importance, finding that the economic impacts would be incremental and nominal, with no showing of broader national or global implications, significant employment effects, or advancement of U.S. strategic interests.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_08_B5203; source_row=37392
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Published materialNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Published material

published material about the individual in major media

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agrees that uncorroborated website-traffic figures alone, without relative ranking or comparative basis, cannot establish the website is major media.

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AAO agrees that uncorroborated website-traffic figures alone, without relative ranking or comparative basis, cannot establish the website is major media.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_01_B2203; source_row=37362
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Scholarly authorshipNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Scholarly authorship

authorship of scholarly articles

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that authorship of one article was not established and that uncorroborated traffic data cannot show major-media status; AAO additionally found that the articles were not scholarly articles intended for learned persons in the field.

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AAO agreed that authorship of one article was not established and that uncorroborated traffic data cannot show major-media status; AAO additionally found that the articles were not scholarly articles intended for learned persons in the field.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_01_B2203; source_row=37364
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · High remunerationNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · High remuneration

high salary or significantly high remuneration

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed that the Petitioner failed to provide reasonably available financial documentation, that letters contained inconsistencies undermining their probative value, and that the comparative wage data covered overly broad occupational categories.

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AAO agreed that the Petitioner failed to provide reasonably available financial documentation, that letters contained inconsistencies undermining their probative value, and that the comparative wage data covered overly broad occupational categories.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_01_B2203; source_row=37367
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
EB-1AEB-1A · Leading / critical roleNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Other

Issue evaluated

EB-1A · Leading / critical role

leading or critical role for organizations with distinguished reputation

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that letters either described post-filing employment, lacked detail about specific duties or contributions, or generically praised personal attributes without explaining how the role was leading or critical.

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AAO found that letters either described post-filing employment, lacked detail about specific duties or contributions, or generically praised personal attributes without explaining how the role was leading or critical.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_01_B2203; source_row=37366
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

advanced degree professional qualification

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the experience letters submitted lacked the specific description of duties required by 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(g), and therefore the record did not establish the requisite five years of post-bachelor's progressive experience needed to qualify as an advanced degree professional.

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AAO found that the experience letters submitted lacked the specific description of duties required by 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(g), and therefore the record did not establish the requisite five years of post-bachelor's progressive experience needed to qualify as an advanced degree professional.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_02_B5203; source_row=37374
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedNot established

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner failed to demonstrate she is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor. The expert opinion letter was conclusory; the personal plan lacked business specifics; certifications were noted but their relevance unexplained; testimonial letters were not shown to move the needle; and no showing was made of interest from potential customers, users, or investors.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner failed to demonstrate she is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor. The expert opinion letter was conclusory; the personal plan lacked business specifics; certifications were noted but their relevance unexplained; testimonial letters were not shown to move the needle; and no showing was made of interest from potential customers, users, or investors.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-05-02_02_B5203; source_row=37376
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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