Published AAO appeal decisions

A professional in an unspecified field sought EB-1A classification claiming extraordinary ability. She claimed awards, membership, and judging criteria. The AAO found the awards claim abandoned, membership criterion unsatisfied, and judging criterion met. However, the petitioner failed to meet the final merits requirement of sustained national or international acclaim across all evidence.

Petitioner claimed extraordinary ability. Evidence included articles and photographs from publications. AAO held petitioner failed to establish membership criterion on appeal, and published materials failed regulatory requirements for identification, subject matter, and translation.

A director/producer/writer/instructor sought EB-1A classification. The AAO upheld denial, finding insufficient qualifying evidence under three regulatory criteria: awards lacked primary documentation, membership did not show association requirement of outstanding achievements, and published materials lacked proper circulation evidence. Overall evidence failed to establish sustained national or international acclaim.

Physiologist claiming extraordinary ability; self-petitioner. Counsel appealed three criteria on merits; AAO applied Kazarian framework counting evidence types. Petitioner met awards only; membership rejected as incomplete; two other criteria not adequately analyzed. Lacked three required criterion types.

A young athlete sought EB-1A classification citing a first-place award and other achievements. The AAO affirmed the director's denial, finding the award was limited to youth competitors and lacked international media recognition, failing the major internationally recognized award standard and other criteria.

A professional claimed three criteria for extraordinary ability. The AAO affirmed that the petitioner met awards and judging criteria but failed the membership criterion and could not satisfy the statutory requirement of at least three types of evidence, thus failing to demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim.

A violinist self-petitioner claimed EB-1A extraordinary ability. The petitioner failed on awards, membership, judging, and exhibitions criteria. The AAO affirmed dismissal, finding performances do not qualify under exhibitions criterion and insufficient evidence of extraordinary ability.

Self-represented researcher in life sciences claiming extraordinary ability. Met two evidentiary criteria but failed three-criterion minimum. Original contributions lacked evidence of major significance; impact limited to immediate colleagues. Appeal dismissed.

A biological engineer sought EB-1A classification asserting three or more criteria. The AAO dismissed, finding insufficient qualifying evidence under at least three criteria. Evidence offered on appeal for criteria not previously claimed was properly rejected.

Chess player sought extraordinary ability classification. Claimed three criteria: team awards, federation membership, and published material about himself. AAO sustained the awards criterion but rejected membership as single rather than plural and published material as not about the petitioner. Appeal dismissed; burden to establish eligibility not met.

A rowing coach sought extraordinary ability classification. The AAO found he failed to establish the three-criterion minimum. Athletic awards did not qualify as coaching awards; membership in associations lacked evidence of outstanding achievement requirements and satisfied only singular membership.