Published AAO appeal decisions

Petitioner sought EB-1A classification. Claimed awards, membership, and published material criteria. AAO found award was local not national; association does not require outstanding achievement; online articles lack evidence of major media status. Overall record fails to demonstrate sustained acclaim at very top level.

Petitioner in sciences sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. Director denied for lack of sustained national or international acclaim. AAO found petitioner met at least three regulatory criteria and that totality of evidence established sustained national acclaim and extraordinary ability warranting approval.

A self-represented petitioner sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. The AAO dismissed the appeal, holding that no criteria were met and the petitioner failed to establish sustained national or international acclaim or placement within the small percentage at the very top of the field.

An inventor petitioned for EB-1A extraordinary ability in the sciences. The AAO dismissed the appeal, finding the petitioner did not meet the required criteria: awards were too old or undocumented, and association membership lacked outstanding achievement requirements, failing to demonstrate top-level sustained acclaim.

Self-petitioner in sciences claims extraordinary ability. Petitioner submitted evidence of honorary doctorate and association membership. AAO found honorary doctorate not nationally or internationally recognized and association membership not analyzed. Appeal dismissed; petitioner failed to establish sustained national or international acclaim.

Senior transportation and ITS analyst seeks EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. The AAO affirmed denial, finding the petitioner did not meet three criteria and lacked sustained national or international acclaim at the very top of the field.

Comic book author claimed extraordinary ability but failed to establish sustained national or international acclaim. AAO found local awards, inappropriate association membership, and limited-circulation publications insufficient. Evidence did not show petitioner at very top of field.

Self-represented petitioner claimed extraordinary ability but failed to meet award and membership criteria. Awards lacked substantiation and were received over a decade before filing, failing to establish sustained acclaim. No evidence of three regulatory criteria met.

A self-represented individual seeks EB-1A classification for extraordinary ability in a beauty-related field. He claimed awards, published material, judging experience, and scholarly articles. The AAO found none of the criteria met and concluded the evidence does not establish he has risen to the very top of his field.

Employer-sponsored petitioner established extraordinary ability through meeting three regulatory criteria: awards, memberships, and scholarly articles with substantial citation impact. AAO found the total evidence demonstrated sustained national acclaim and pattern placing beneficiary among the very top in field. Petition approved.

Self-petitioner sought EB-1A classification based on awards, memberships, and published material. AAO found all evidence reflected only local recognition and did not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim required for extraordinary ability classification.

Petitioner claimed extraordinary ability under EB-1A. AAO held petitioner failed to meet three regulatory criteria and dismissed appeal with finding of fraud because petitioner knowingly submitted falsified documents material to eligibility determination.

Automobile mechanic petitioner claimed extraordinary ability under EB-1A. AAO affirmed denial because petitioner failed to meet at least three regulatory criteria: awards were only locally recognized; original contributions lacked evidence of widespread influence; salary lacked comparative documentation. Appeal dismissed.

A machine shop petitioned for a beneficiary for EB-1A extraordinary ability. No evidence of major award or three regulatory criteria was submitted despite notice of intent to deny. AAO found no sustained acclaim or evidence of intent to continue work in the United States, dismissing the appeal.

Researcher in photodynamic therapy sought EB-1A classification claiming extraordinary ability through judging and original contributions. AAO found two criteria met but concluded overall evidence does not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or placement in small percentage at top of field.

Self-petitioner claimed extraordinary ability under EB-1A but failed to demonstrate either a major award or three regulatory criteria. The AAO upheld the director's finding that the petitioner lacks the sustained national or international acclaim required for this classification.

Self-represented petitioner sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. Claimed awards and association membership. AAO found awards lacked documentation of significance and association membership did not require outstanding achievement. Also noted no evidence of intent to continue work in field. Appeal dismissed.

A cook petitioned for EB-1A extraordinary ability classification claiming sustained national or international acclaim. The AAO found the petitioner failed to meet at least three regulatory criteria, with no major international award, no qualifying memberships, and no evidence of regular display at exclusive venues. Appeal dismissed.

Tile and stone fabricator-installer seeking EB-1A classification. Self-represented petitioner claimed beneficiary reached level to work unsupervised and offered photographs. AAO found no evidence meeting any of ten regulatory criteria and no documentation of sustained national or international acclaim; petition dismissed.

A culinary artist petitioned for EB-1A extraordinary ability. The AAO found that award certificates lacked evidence of official competition results, published materials did not meet media standards, and claims of judging and exhibitions lacked sufficient documentation of national-level recognition or sustained acclaim.

Self-represented petitioner claiming extraordinary ability based on youth awards and association membership from China. AAO found awards limited to provincial recognition, lacked competition documentation, membership evaluation was local or regional only, and petitioner submitted no evidence of intent to continue work in the United States.

Advanced level cook self-petitioner sought EB-1A classification. AAO found petitioner did not meet any qualifying criteria, with awards showing only local recognition, memberships lacking outstanding achievement requirements, and culinary exhibitions not at exclusive national venues.

Self-petitioner sought EB-1A classification based on youth awards and association membership. AAO dismissed appeal, finding awards limited to local recognition, membership criteria unmet, and no published material in major media. Overall evidence insufficient to show sustained acclaim.

A self-represented petitioner seeking extraordinary ability classification with insufficient documentation. The AAO found awards lacked recognition evidence, membership did not meet criteria, published material was inadequately documented, judging duties were not established as professional-level, and no evidence showed intent to continue work in the United States.

Self-petitioner, a vegetable carver, sought EB-1A classification claiming awards, membership, and exhibitions. The AAO found petitioner met none of these criteria and did not achieve the sustained national or international acclaim necessary for extraordinary ability.