EB-1ALaw, policy, social scienceIndividualDecided April 2026Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
APR292026_02B2203
JudgingMetScholarly articlesMetAwardsNot metMembershipNot metFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
An international program director and public policy analyst sought EB-1A classification, claiming nine evidentiary criteria. The service center accepted one; the AAO accepted a second, scholarly articles, but rejected the rest it analyzed and found no sustained acclaim or top-of-field standing, so the appeal was dismissed.
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
- Judging · Service center found it met and the AAO did not disturb that conclusion.
- Scholarly articles · AAO found on de novo review that the authorship of scholarly articles criterion was satisfied.
What was missing
- Awards · Recognitions submitted did not show awards for excellence in the field or national or international recognition.
- Membership · Membership in the organization was not shown to require outstanding achievements judged by recognized experts.
- Final merits · Record does not show sustained acclaim or a place among the small percentage at the top.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Judging | Met | Service center found it met and the AAO did not disturb that conclusion. |
 Scholarly articles | Met | AAO found on de novo review that the authorship of scholarly articles criterion was satisfied. |
 Awards | Not met | Recognitions submitted did not show awards for excellence in the field or national or international recognition. |
 Membership | Not met | Membership in the organization was not shown to require outstanding achievements judged by recognized experts. |
 Final merits | Not met | Record does not show sustained acclaim or a place among the small percentage at the top. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.