Outcome: Dismissed
JUL192005_07B2203
Our summary
A postdoctoral research associate in plasma physics filed for EB-1A extraordinary ability. He claimed seven criteria including awards, membership, publications, judging, original contributions, scholarly articles, and leading role. The AAO affirmed denial, finding he did not meet three criteria and lacked sustained acclaim at the very top level.
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 · Dean's list placement does not satisfy criterion; only students compete, not field experts
- Judging · No evidence of judging established researchers; routine duties do not show acclaim
- Leading or critical role · Graduate student and postdoctoral roles without documentary evidence insufficient
- Membership · No documentation of professional society eligibility criteria submitted
- Original contributions · Recommendation letters lack corroborative evidence of major contributions to field
- Published material · No evidence of being primary subject of professional or major media publications
- Scholarly articles · Minimal publication record; mere publication inherent to scientific success, insufficient for acclaim
- Final merits · Evidence shows valuable contributions but not sustained acclaim at very top of field
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Not met | Dean's list placement does not satisfy criterion; only students compete, not field experts | |
| Not met | No evidence of judging established researchers; routine duties do not show acclaim | |
| Not met | Graduate student and postdoctoral roles without documentary evidence insufficient | |
| Not met | No documentation of professional society eligibility criteria submitted | |
| Not met | Recommendation letters lack corroborative evidence of major contributions to field | |
| Not met | No evidence of being primary subject of professional or major media publications | |
| Not met | Minimal publication record; mere publication inherent to scientific success, insufficient for acclaim | |
| Not met | Evidence shows valuable contributions but not sustained acclaim at very top of field |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.
