Former professional tennis player in Venezuela claimed extraordinary ability, citing historical tournament rankings, awards from late 1990s, and intentions to coach. AAO dismissed appeal, finding past awards and rankings insufficiently demonstrate sustained acclaim at time of filing and petitioner presented no evidence of active coaching work.

A Peking opera performer claimed extraordinary ability through awards and association membership. The AAO found awards limited by age are not nationally recognized, membership evidence insufficient, and aggregate evidence insufficient to show sustained acclaim at the top of the field.

A beneficiary in the arts was the subject of an EB-1A extraordinary ability petition denied by the service center for lack of sustained acclaim. Counsel claimed misapplied standards and improper weighing of evidence but never supplemented the appeal. The AAO summarily dismissed because no specific legal or factual error was identified. No criteria were analyzed.

A dance instructor sponsored through counsel claimed extraordinary ability via competition awards and student achievements. The AAO held that amateur and rising-star awards cannot demonstrate extraordinary ability, and coaching achievements do not indicate the petitioner is among the very top professionals in the field.