EB-1ALife sciences and medicineEmployerDecided September 2020Dismissed
Outcome: Dismissed
SEP242020_11B2203
JudgingMetScholarly articlesMetOriginal contributionsNot metFinal meritsNot reached / not discussed
Our summary
Postdoctoral molecular biology researcher seeks EB-1A extraordinary ability. Met judging and scholarly articles criteria but failed original contributions criterion. AAO held that citations and journal prestige alone do not demonstrate contributions of major significance in the field.
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 · Director found and AAO affirmed criterion satisfied; postdoctoral researcher reviewed peer papers.
- Scholarly articles · Director found and AAO affirmed criterion satisfied; petitioner published scholarly articles.
What was missing
- Original contributions · Publication in high-impact journals and citations insufficient; citation numbers not shown to indicate major significance in molecular biology field.
Criteria
| Criterion | Reading | Why |
|---|---|---|
 Judging | Met | Director found and AAO affirmed criterion satisfied; postdoctoral researcher reviewed peer papers. |
 Scholarly articles | Met | Director found and AAO affirmed criterion satisfied; petitioner published scholarly articles. |
 Original contributions | Not met | Publication in high-impact journals and citations insufficient; citation numbers not shown to indicate major significance in molecular biology field. |
 Final merits | Not reached / not discussed | Not reached; petitioner met only two of three required criteria. |
A published decision describes one case. It is not legal advice and not a prediction for yours.