EB-1AHealthcare, clinicalIndividualDecided January 2026Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
JAN072026_01B2203
JudgingMetLeading or critical roleMetScholarly articlesMetMembershipNot metFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
A veterinarian sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. She met three initial criteria: judging, scholarly articles, and leading critical role. However, the AAO dismissed her appeal because the totality of evidence did not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or that she ranked among the very top of her veterinary field.
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 and AAO agreed petitioner met this criterion
- Leading or critical role · AAO found petitioner satisfied this criterion on appeal
- Scholarly articles · SCOPS and AAO agreed petitioner met authorship criterion
What was missing
- Membership · SCOPS found petitioner did not meet membership criterion
- Final merits · Despite meeting three criteria, petitioner failed to show sustained national or international acclaim and position among top of field
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Judging | Met | SCOPS and AAO agreed petitioner met this criterion |
 Leading or critical role | Met | AAO found petitioner satisfied this criterion on appeal |
 Scholarly articles | Met | SCOPS and AAO agreed petitioner met authorship criterion |
 Membership | Not met | SCOPS found petitioner did not meet membership criterion |
 Final merits | Not met | Despite meeting three criteria, petitioner failed to show sustained national or international acclaim and position among top of field |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.