EB-1AMechanical and aerospace engineeringIndividualDecided 2018Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
JUL052018_02B2203
Leading or critical roleMetHigh salaryNot metJudgingNot metOriginal contributionsNot metFinal meritsNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
An engineering manager in the brewing industry sought extraordinary ability classification. Although meeting the leading role criterion, he satisfied only two of three required criteria. The AAO affirmed dismissal due to insufficient salary justification and lack of major contributions to the 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
- Leading or critical role · Critical role at distinguished breweries Stone Brewing and Karl Strauss satisfied criterion
What was missing
- High salary · Salary of $185,000 falls between 75th-90th percentile but does not qualify as high relative to field standards
- Judging · Informal professional advice does not constitute formal judging capacity required by criterion
- Original contributions · Work for individual companies lacks impact on field or industry as a whole; letters confirm expertise but not major significance
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Leading or critical role | Met | Critical role at distinguished breweries Stone Brewing and Karl Strauss satisfied criterion |
 High salary | Not met | Salary of $185,000 falls between 75th-90th percentile but does not qualify as high relative to field standards |
 Judging | Not met | Informal professional advice does not constitute formal judging capacity required by criterion |
 Original contributions | Not met | Work for individual companies lacks impact on field or industry as a whole; letters confirm expertise but not major significance |
 Final merits | Not reached / not discussed | Not reached because petitioner failed to meet three criteria threshold; review of aggregate record found insufficient expertise level |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.