Outcome: Dismissed
AUG252025_02B2203
Our summary
Director of English for Academic Purposes Program claims extraordinary ability through judging and scholarly articles, and leading role at university. AAO affirmed that judging and articles met criteria but rejected leading role claim because the university's distinguished reputation was insufficiently demonstrated. Threshold of three criteria not satisfied; appeal 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 · SCOPS finding accepted; petitioner participated as judge of work of others
- Scholarly articles · SCOPS finding accepted; petitioner authored scholarly articles in field
What was missing
- Leading or critical role · Distinguished reputation of institution not sufficiently demonstrated by limited rankings or government grants
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Met | SCOPS finding accepted; petitioner participated as judge of work of others | |
| Met | SCOPS finding accepted; petitioner authored scholarly articles in field | |
| Not met | Distinguished reputation of institution not sufficiently demonstrated by limited rankings or government grants | |
| Not reached / not discussed | Initial evidence threshold not met; final merits determination declined and reserved |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.
