EB-1AArts, design, architectureIndividualDecided January 2026Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
JAN282026_03B2203
AwardsNot metPublished materialNot metScholarly articlesNot metFinal meritsNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
Realism artist seeks EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. AAO affirmed denial because petitioner satisfied only two of ten required evidentiary criteria and failed to establish three criteria including prizes, published materials, and scholarly articles. Initial evidence threshold requirement was not met.
Official PDF
Official PDF ↗Published by USCIS. The summary is ours, in our own words; the decision text is on uscis.gov.
No criterion in the table was found met in this decision.
What was missing
- Awards · Petitioner failed to show awards were nationally or internationally recognized with sufficient evidentiary support.
- Published material · AAO withdrew SCOPS finding; publications lacked evidence of circulation statistics or intended audience for major trade publications.
- Scholarly articles · Article lacked footnotes, endnotes, bibliographies, and evidence of expert prepublication review required for scholarly work.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Awards | Not met | Petitioner failed to show awards were nationally or internationally recognized with sufficient evidentiary support. |
 Published material | Not met | AAO withdrew SCOPS finding; publications lacked evidence of circulation statistics or intended audience for major trade publications. |
 Scholarly articles | Not met | Article lacked footnotes, endnotes, bibliographies, and evidence of expert prepublication review required for scholarly work. |
 Final merits | Not reached / not discussed | Petitioner failed to meet three initial evidentiary criteria threshold; final merits not reached. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.