EB-1ASports and athleticsIndividualDecided 2025Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
JUL102025_03B2203
JudgingMetPublished materialMetAwardsNot metMembershipNot metFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
A taekwondo athlete and instructor self-petitioned for EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. Petitioner met two criteria but AAO dismissed appeal, finding insufficient evidence of sustained national or international acclaim or placement among small percentage at field's very top despite participation in tournaments since 2002.
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 · Service center found petitioner met judging criterion; AAO agreed
- Published material · One article sufficiently about petitioner relating to work in field with identified author
What was missing
- Awards · Medal awards were in age-specific categories; insufficient evidence of competition scope or prior winners
- Membership · Associations claimed did not require outstanding achievements for petitioner's membership level
- Final merits · Record does not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or place among small percentage at field's very top; petitioner progressing toward top, not already there
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Judging | Met | Service center found petitioner met judging criterion; AAO agreed |
 Published material | Met | One article sufficiently about petitioner relating to work in field with identified author |
 Awards | Not met | Medal awards were in age-specific categories; insufficient evidence of competition scope or prior winners |
 Membership | Not met | Associations claimed did not require outstanding achievements for petitioner's membership level |
 Final merits | Not met | Record does not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or place among small percentage at field's very top; petitioner progressing toward top, not already there |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.