Outcome: Remanded
APR062023_01D8101
Our summary
A soccer camp petitions for O-1A for a beneficiary transitioning from professional soccer player to coach. The AAO remanded because the Director improperly excluded athletic achievements in assessing extraordinary ability and erred in rejecting the gold medal as major award without requesting additional evidence on coaching eligibility.
Official PDF
Official PDF ↗Published by USCIS. The summary is ours, in our own words; the decision text is on uscis.gov.
What the AAO accepted
- Awards · Gold medal with Colombian women's national soccer team at 2019 event qualifies as major internationally recognized award.
What was missing
Every criterion in the table was found met.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Met | Gold medal with Colombian women's national soccer team at 2019 event qualifies as major internationally recognized award. | |
| Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not analyzed; remanded for determination whether coaching falls within athlete extraordinary ability. | |
| Not reached / not discussed | Not reached on remand; Director must first determine evidentiary criteria satisfaction and then analyze sustained acclaim. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.
