Outcome: Dismissed
DEC112025_01D8101
Our summary
Chief technology officer at healthcare AI company. Claimed five additional criteria beyond two met by service center. AAO found venture capital funding not a recognized prize or award, membership claim unsubstantiated, and published materials not substantially about beneficiary. Beneficiary failed three-criterion threshold; 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 · Service center found this criterion met; decision does not disturb this finding
- Scholarly articles · Service center found this criterion met; decision does not disturb this finding
What was missing
- Awards · Venture capital funding does not qualify as prize or award; not nationally or internationally recognized for excellence
- Membership · Claimed membership in accelerator program but did not demonstrate membership requires outstanding achievements
- Published material · Articles about competition did not mention beneficiary or establish substantial discussion of beneficiary's work
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Met | Service center found this criterion met; decision does not disturb this finding | |
| Met | Service center found this criterion met; decision does not disturb this finding | |
| Not met | Venture capital funding does not qualify as prize or award; not nationally or internationally recognized for excellence | |
| Not met | Claimed membership in accelerator program but did not demonstrate membership requires outstanding achievements | |
| Not met | Articles about competition did not mention beneficiary or establish substantial discussion of beneficiary's work | |
| Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but decision does not discuss or analyze this criterion | |
| Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but decision does not analyze this criterion | |
| Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not fully analyzed; decision indicates criterion discussed but analysis incomplete in excerpts | |
| Not reached / not discussed | Beneficiary failed to meet three criteria threshold; final merits analysis not reached |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.
