EB-1AHealthcare, clinicalIndividualDecided January 2026Remanded
Outcome: Remanded
JAN282026_06B2203
High salaryMetJudgingMetScholarly articlesMetAwardsClaimed, not analyzedMembershipClaimed, not analyzedOriginal contributionsClaimed, not analyzedFinal meritsNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
Cardiologist sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. Petitioner claimed five criteria; service center found two met. AAO added high salary criterion, reaching three total, then remanded for final merits analysis of whether petitioner demonstrates sustained acclaim and top-of-field status.
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
- High salary · Credible employment letter at filing showing $650,000 salary high relative to field comparators.
- Judging · Service center found petitioner satisfied judging criterion; AAO did not disturb.
- Scholarly articles · Service center found petitioner satisfied authorship of scholarly articles; AAO did not disturb.
What was missing
Every criterion in the table was found met.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 High salary | Met | Credible employment letter at filing showing $650,000 salary high relative to field comparators. |
 Judging | Met | Service center found petitioner satisfied judging criterion; AAO did not disturb. |
 Scholarly articles | Met | Service center found petitioner satisfied authorship of scholarly articles; AAO did not disturb. |
 Awards | Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not analyzed. |
 Membership | Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not analyzed. |
 Original contributions | Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not analyzed. |
 Final merits | Not reached / not discussed | Remanded for SCOPS to conduct first-instance final merits determination. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.