EB-1ALaw, policy, social scienceIndividualDecided May 2021Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
MAY072021_01B2203
Scholarly articlesMetAwardsNot metLeading or critical roleNot metMembershipNot metPublished materialNot metOriginal contributionsClaimed, not analyzedFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
A lawyer sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. The petitioner claimed five criteria and the director found one met. The AAO agreed only one criterion was satisfied and found insufficient sustained national or international acclaim at the top of the field, dismissing the appeal based on uncorroborated assertions and limited objective documentation.
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
- Scholarly articles · Director determined criterion satisfied, AAO did not disturb this finding
What was missing
- Awards · Award lacked evidence of national or international recognition outside awarding entity
- Leading or critical role · Work showed advisory capacity, not critical role for distinguished organization
- Membership · Association membership does not require outstanding achievements as judged by recognized experts
- Published material · Petitioner presented no evidence of published material about him in professional or major media
- Final merits · Record lacks corroboration for claims; limited documented impact and recognition
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Scholarly articles | Met | Director determined criterion satisfied, AAO did not disturb this finding |
 Awards | Not met | Award lacked evidence of national or international recognition outside awarding entity |
 Leading or critical role | Not met | Work showed advisory capacity, not critical role for distinguished organization |
 Membership | Not met | Association membership does not require outstanding achievements as judged by recognized experts |
 Published material | Not met | Petitioner presented no evidence of published material about him in professional or major media |
 Original contributions | Claimed, not analyzed | Claimed but not analyzed |
 Final merits | Not met | Record lacks corroboration for claims; limited documented impact and recognition |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.