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 6421–6430

NIWNIW · EB-2 baselineNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · EB-2 baseline

foreign equivalent of U.S. baccalaureate degree

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the Petitioner's three-year Licenciada program does not equate to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree per EDGE, and her Diploma de Professor is only equivalent to a U.S. vocational high school diploma. The credential evaluator's opinion was rejected for lack of reasoning, reliance only on diploma and resume without transcripts, and failure to address the EDGE data.…

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AAO found that the Petitioner's three-year Licenciada program does not equate to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree per EDGE, and her Diploma de Professor is only equivalent to a U.S. vocational high school diploma. The credential evaluator's opinion was rejected for lack of reasoning, reliance only on diploma and resume without transcripts, and failure to address the EDGE data. Contradictions in the record about when she entered the program also prevented determination of program length.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_05_B5203; source_row=35076
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO found that the Petitioner conflated the importance of the education industry broadly with the national importance of her specific endeavor. Support letters only showed impact on her immediate professional circle; her proposed programs lacked specificity about format, scale, and scope; and her economic impact claims were not individually quantified.

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AAO found that the Petitioner conflated the importance of the education industry broadly with the national importance of her specific endeavor. Support letters only showed impact on her immediate professional circle; her proposed programs lacked specificity about format, scale, and scope; and her economic impact claims were not individually quantified.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_05_B5203; source_row=35077
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceNot established

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why AAO was not persuaded

AAO agreed substantial merit was established but national importance was not. Petitioner's claims about her achievements, the legal industry, and U.S.-Brazil trade were either conclusory or addressed the field generally rather than the specific endeavor; the record did not show the endeavor would impact the legal field or economy at a nationally important scale.

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AAO agreed substantial merit was established but national importance was not. Petitioner's claims about her achievements, the legal industry, and U.S.-Brazil trade were either conclusory or addressed the field generally rather than the specific endeavor; the record did not show the endeavor would impact the legal field or economy at a nationally important scale.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_01_B5203; source_row=35067
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

What the decision said

AAO explicitly reserved this issue because the Petitioner failed to satisfy the first Dhanasar prong, making it unnecessary to reach the second prong.

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AAO explicitly reserved this issue because the Petitioner failed to satisfy the first Dhanasar prong, making it unnecessary to reach the second prong.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_05_B5203; source_row=35078
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Social Sciences

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

on balance, beneficial to waive job offer requirement

What the decision said

AAO explicitly reserved this issue because the Petitioner failed to satisfy the first Dhanasar prong, making it unnecessary to reach the third prong.

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AAO explicitly reserved this issue because the Petitioner failed to satisfy the first Dhanasar prong, making it unnecessary to reach the third prong.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_05_B5203; source_row=35079
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner is well positioned to advance his proposed endeavor, as shown by a preponderance of the evidence.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner is well positioned to advance his proposed endeavor, as shown by a preponderance of the evidence.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_03_B5203; source_row=35074
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO concluded that the Petitioner did not consider all evidence submitted, and upon review determined the proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance.

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AAO concluded that the Petitioner did not consider all evidence submitted, and upon review determined the proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_03_B5203; source_row=35073
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Waiver on balanceReservedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Medicine / ClinicalPhD

Issue evaluated

NIW · Waiver on balance

on balance, beneficial to waive job offer requirement

What the decision said

AAO declined to reach prong three, remanding so the Director can conduct a first-line adjudication of whether, on balance, a waiver is beneficial, considering factors such as practicability of a labor certification, U.S. benefit, urgency of national interest, and job creation potential.

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AAO declined to reach prong three, remanding so the Director can conduct a first-line adjudication of whether, on balance, a waiver is beneficial, considering factors such as practicability of a labor certification, U.S. benefit, urgency of national interest, and job creation potential.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_03_B5203; source_row=35075
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · National importanceEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · National importance

substantial merit and national importance

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director's earlier RFE determination that the endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance, noting that the Petitioner's research spans multiple high-impact fields and has already had measurable industry impact, including contributions to an open-source project used by well-known U.S. software companies.

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AAO agreed with the Director's earlier RFE determination that the endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance, noting that the Petitioner's research spans multiple high-impact fields and has already had measurable industry impact, including contributions to an open-source project used by well-known U.S. software companies.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_02_B5203; source_row=35070
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
NIWNIW · Well positionedEstablishedAutomated extraction · broader context

Case facts

Computer Science / AI

Issue evaluated

NIW · Well positioned

well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor

Why the evidence was persuasive

AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner is well positioned, citing his education, publications, citation record, peer review activity, and track record of contributing to successful research projects.

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AAO agreed with the Director that the Petitioner is well positioned, citing his education, publications, citation record, peer review activity, and track record of contributing to successful research projects.
Exact record locator: findings_long.parquet filename_stem=2023-12-18_02_B5203; source_row=35071
Revision: 081d2cac29dcadfec88fdd675d7a0c4294d72b3c
Open source dataset ↗
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