O-1ASports and athleticsEmployerDecided 2016Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
MAY262016_01D8101
AwardsNot metMembershipNot metPublished materialNot metFinal meritsNot met
Our summary
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym petitioned for O-1 classification for a jiu-jitsu coach. The AAO dismissed, finding the beneficiary failed to meet three evidentiary criteria: awards lacked documentation of national or international recognition, memberships did not require recognized expert evaluation, and published materials were instructional videos rather than professional publications.
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 · Insufficient documentary evidence; reference letters lacked specific details about competition prestige, selection criteria, and competitor numbers.
- Membership · Insufficient evidence that memberships required outstanding achievements judged by recognized experts.
- Published material · Submitted instructional video articles did not meet professional or major trade publication standard.
- Final merits · Beneficiary not shown to be among small percentage at very top of field in athletics.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Awards | Not met | Insufficient documentary evidence; reference letters lacked specific details about competition prestige, selection criteria, and competitor numbers. |
 Membership | Not met | Insufficient evidence that memberships required outstanding achievements judged by recognized experts. |
 Published material | Not met | Submitted instructional video articles did not meet professional or major trade publication standard. |
 Final merits | Not met | Beneficiary not shown to be among small percentage at very top of field in athletics. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.