EB-1ALaw, policy, social scienceEmployerDecided 2009Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
Jan152009_01B2203
JudgingNot metOriginal contributionsNot metPublished materialNot metFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
Attorney in South Africa with counsel representation claimed extraordinary ability. AAO found petitioner successful but lacking sustained national or international acclaim at the very top level. Evidence included article from nine years prior, unpublished court decisions, and solicited letters, none demonstrating the major significance required for the classification.
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
- Judging · Published judicial decisions involving attorney cannot alone meet criterion; unpublished decisions have no precedential value
- Original contributions · Counsel-solicited letters carrying less weight than preexisting independent evidence; fail to demonstrate major significance beyond limited colleagues
- Published material · Article cited was from 1998, nearly nine years before petition filing, inconsistent with sustained acclaim and not primarily about petitioner
- Final merits · Successful South African attorney with leading role but no sustained national or international acclaim placing her at very top of field
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Judging | Not met | Published judicial decisions involving attorney cannot alone meet criterion; unpublished decisions have no precedential value |
 Original contributions | Not met | Counsel-solicited letters carrying less weight than preexisting independent evidence; fail to demonstrate major significance beyond limited colleagues |
 Published material | Not met | Article cited was from 1998, nearly nine years before petition filing, inconsistent with sustained acclaim and not primarily about petitioner |
 Final merits | Not met | Successful South African attorney with leading role but no sustained national or international acclaim placing her at very top of field |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.