What it does
- Lists the non-precedent decisions the Administrative Appeals Office has published on uscis.gov for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1A, and lets you narrow them by visa, outcome, petitioner type, criterion, field and year, or search the summaries.
- Gives every decision a page with our summary in our own words, a criteria table (met or not met, with a short reason), what the AAO accepted, what was missing, and a link to the official PDF.
- Shows the library as charts on the Stats page: the share of appeals sustained or remanded by year, by criterion and by field, each number with its n.
- Hands any decision to Case Matcher, which reads your own file next to it.
When to use it
Use it when you want to see how the AAO has reasoned about a criterion before you decide how to present yours, or when an RFE or a denial cites a criterion and you want published examples.
- Before: nothing is needed. No account, no case.
- After: open Case Matcher from a decision to compare your file with it, or check the Pathway Navigator for the category that fits you.
Before you start
- Input: a few words, or the filters. No upload.
- Account: none for the Explorer. Case Matcher, the next step, needs a free account and a case.
- Cost: free, 0 credits, no model call.
Step by step
Open the Explorer and type what you are looking for, or pick filters on the left (on a phone, open the Filters row).
Read the active filters above the list; remove one with its ×, or clear them all.
Sort by summaries first (the default), newest, most criteria met, or outcome.
Open a decision to read our summary, the criteria table and the official PDF.
Compare with your case: the button opens Case Matcher (you sign in first if you have not).
Reading the result
- Outcome chip — Dismissed, Remanded or Sustained, read from the decision's ORDER line.
- Criteria dots — how many of the criteria the decision decided were found met, out of how many it decided.
- Summary coming — the decision is in the library but our summary is not written yet; the official PDF is the source.
- Stats — every share carries its n and appears only where n is 20 or more. A dashed point or a cell with only an n has too few decisions for a share.
Free vs Pro for this tool
- Everything in the Explorer is free and needs no account.
- Comparing a decision with your case happens in Case Matcher, which needs a case.
Ready to put this to work on your own case? Start free — no credit card required, or start your free trial to unlock the full Pro toolset. For more background from Merito's parent site, see real EB-1A, O-1A, and EB-2 NIW case studies from EB1 Mentor.
Common mistakes
- Reading a share as your chances. The shares are appeal outcomes: appeals of petitions USCIS had already denied. They are not approval odds for new petitions and they say nothing about your case.
- Relying on a summary alone. Our summary is ours, in our own words. Read the official PDF before you rely on a decision.
- Treating one decision as the rule. A non-precedent decision describes one case.
Frequently asked questions
What is in the library?
The non-precedent AAO decisions published on uscis.gov for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW and O-1A, added as they appear.
Does this predict my case?
No. Nothing here predicts an outcome, and Merito is not a law firm.
Who writes the summaries?
We do, from the decision text, in our own words. Each one links to the official PDF.
Why does a decision say "Summary coming"?
The library is read and summarized in batches; the decision is listed first and the summary follows.
Is it free?
Yes, with no account.
Merito is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice or predict approval odds. This is a readiness review to help you and your attorney strengthen your case.