EB-1ASports and athleticsIndividualDecided January 2020Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
JAN242020_01B2203
AwardsMetJudgingMetMembershipNot metOriginal contributionsNot metPublished materialNot metLeading or critical roleClaimed, not analyzedFinal meritsNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
A weightlifter claimed extraordinary ability. He satisfied two criteria: awards and judging. The AAO affirmed he failed membership and published material criteria and did not establish original contributions. Without three qualifying criteria, final merits was not reached.
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
- Awards · Won lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes in weightlifting competitions
- Judging · Served as referee and chief judge at national-level weightlifting tournaments
What was missing
- Membership · Did not establish membership requiring outstanding achievements as judged by recognized experts
- Original contributions · Did not establish original contributions of major significance; prize evidence does not satisfy this separate criterion
- Published material · Articles lacked author identification; publications not shown to be major media
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Awards | Met | Won lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes in weightlifting competitions |
 Judging | Met | Served as referee and chief judge at national-level weightlifting tournaments |
 Membership | Not met | Did not establish membership requiring outstanding achievements as judged by recognized experts |
 Original contributions | Not met | Did not establish original contributions of major significance; prize evidence does not satisfy this separate criterion |
 Published material | Not met | Articles lacked author identification; publications not shown to be major media |
 Leading or critical role | Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not fully analyzed; no specification of role provided |
 Final merits | Not reached / not discussed | Did not satisfy three criteria requirement; final merits determination not reached |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.