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.
10,847 decisions /36,849 findings
Showing 5551–5560
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established
Case facts
Environment / Energy
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial merit and national importance
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO concurs with the Director that while the endeavor has substantial merit, the Petitioner failed to demonstrate national importance. The evidence focused on the importance of the industry generally rather than the specific prospective impact of her endeavor beyond her employer and its clients.
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 concurs with the Director that while the endeavor has substantial merit, the Petitioner failed to demonstrate national importance. The evidence focused on the importance of the industry generally rather than the specific prospective impact of her endeavor beyond her employer and its clients.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-18_01_B5203; source_row=36425 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
AAO concluded that the initial proposed endeavor (legal professional/lawyer) was described only in vague and generic terms, failing to establish substantial merit of the specific endeavor.…
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 concluded that the initial proposed endeavor (legal professional/lawyer) was described only in vague and generic terms, failing to establish substantial merit of the specific endeavor. AAO further found that the national importance requirement was not met because the Petitioner did not explain how her individual legal work would produce broader economic impacts beyond her employers or clients, and the record lacked evidence of prospective national-level impact. The RFE-response endeavor was disregarded as a material change.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-18_02_B5203; source_row=36428 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
AAO concluded the work-experience certificate (2014–2016 administrator role) predated her 2022 bachelor's degree and so cannot count toward the five-year progressive-experience requirement.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
AAO concluded the work-experience certificate (2014–2016 administrator role) predated her 2022 bachelor's degree and so cannot count toward the five-year progressive-experience requirement.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-18_05_B5203; source_row=36437 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Social Sciences
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial merit and national importance
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO found the evidence showed only generalized industry/issue importance and did not demonstrate broader regional or national impact from the Petitioner's specific endeavor of running a church, food bank, and recovery center.
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 found the evidence showed only generalized industry/issue importance and did not demonstrate broader regional or national impact from the Petitioner's specific endeavor of running a church, food bank, and recovery center.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-18_05_B5203; source_row=36438 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWprocedural or otherNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Computer Science / AI
Issue evaluated
procedural or other
motion to reopen - new facts
Why AAO was not persuaded
The submitted evidence does not constitute new facts; the petitioner's own evidence acknowledges the talent shortage is not new, and the subsequently approved I-140 is not part of the record under review.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
The submitted evidence does not constitute new facts; the petitioner's own evidence acknowledges the talent shortage is not new, and the subsequently approved I-140 is not part of the record under review.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-18_07_B5203; source_row=36441 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
AAO agreed with the Director that the endeavor has substantial merit but lacks national importance. The business plan's projections were unsupported by independent corroborating evidence, the expert opinion merely restated business plan information, the claimed job creation and economic benefits did not rise to national importance, and working in an important industry alone is insufficient.…
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 agreed with the Director that the endeavor has substantial merit but lacks national importance. The business plan's projections were unsupported by independent corroborating evidence, the expert opinion merely restated business plan information, the claimed job creation and economic benefits did not rise to national importance, and working in an important industry alone is insufficient. Broader field implications were not demonstrated.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-15_03_B5203; source_row=36419 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
NIWNIW · National importanceNot establishedAutomated extraction · broader context
Case facts
Civil / Structural Engineering
Issue evaluated
NIW · National importance
substantial merit and national importance
Why AAO was not persuaded
AAO agreed that while the Petitioner's endeavor has substantial merit, he failed to show its prospective impact rises to national importance—his company's projected staffing and revenue do not demonstrate substantial economic benefits at the regional or national level, and his claims of broader industry impact were unsupported by sufficient evidence.
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 agreed that while the Petitioner's endeavor has substantial merit, he failed to show its prospective impact rises to national importance—his company's projected staffing and revenue do not demonstrate substantial economic benefits at the regional or national level, and his claims of broader industry impact were unsupported by sufficient evidence.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-15_04_B5203; source_row=36422 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
AAO found that, while the Petitioner's endeavor is in an area of substantial merit, she did not demonstrate broader implications in the marketing field or wide-reaching economic impact commensurate with national importance. The new evidence on motion did not change this conclusion.
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 found that, while the Petitioner's endeavor is in an area of substantial merit, she did not demonstrate broader implications in the marketing field or wide-reaching economic impact commensurate with national importance. The new evidence on motion did not change this conclusion.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-15_02_B5203; source_row=36416 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
membership in professional associations (criterion E)
Why AAO was not persuaded
The AAO found the Petitioner's memberships in PAEI, ABRACO, CECIEx, and APEX-Brazil did not qualify as membership in 'professional' associations because the evidence did not demonstrate those organizations require members to hold a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. On motion, the Petitioner merely reasserted prior contentions without addressing the AAO's specific reasoning.
Why this is useful
Use the reasoning to identify the specific factual or documentary gap AAO considered material.
View full reasoning +
The AAO found the Petitioner's memberships in PAEI, ABRACO, CECIEx, and APEX-Brazil did not qualify as membership in 'professional' associations because the evidence did not demonstrate those organizations require members to hold a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. On motion, the Petitioner merely reasserted prior contentions without addressing the AAO's specific reasoning.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2024-03-15_01_B5203; source_row=36411 Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c