Published AAO appeal decisions

Collaborative pianist enrolled in doctoral program claims EB-1A extraordinary ability. Director found two criteria met; petitioner appealed claiming two additional criteria. AAO rejected both new claims. With only two criteria met, petitioner failed initial evidence requirement. Appeal dismissed.

An actress and model claimed six EB-1A criteria. The AAO found she met only the judging criterion and dismissed her appeal, concluding she failed to demonstrate extraordinary ability through sustained national or international acclaim as required for this highly restrictive classification.

A television and motion picture production professional claimed four additional criteria beyond the one met criterion. The AAO dismissed because she failed to satisfy three criteria and lacked evidence of sustained national acclaim or top-tier standing in film and television production.

An actor seeks extraordinary ability classification. She claims seven criteria including published materials, judging, original contributions, exhibitions, and leading roles. AAO found only judging and exhibitions met; two criteria insufficient. Petitioner lacks demonstrated sustained national or international acclaim required for top-tier classification.

A pianist claimed three additional criteria for extraordinary ability. The AAO rejected the service center's findings on awards and published material, finding no national recognition. Original contributions proved unsubstantiated. With fewer than three qualifying criteria, petition failed. Appeal dismissed.

A visual effects producer claimed extraordinary ability through five criteria. The AAO found the petitioner did not satisfy at least three required criteria: membership evidence was insufficient, recommendation letters lacked specificity about major contributions, and work did not demonstrate field-wide impact or sustained international acclaim.

A Contemporary Christian music composer and director sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. The AAO found he met only one criterion: judging. Awards lacked recognition, original contributions showed no broad field impact. Appeal dismissed for failure to meet three-criterion requirement.

Animation director and producer, CEO and studio owner with Nickelodeon and Netflix credits. Claimed one-time award and five alternate criteria. AAO rejected major award status for Annie Award, found only two service center criteria met, rejected published materials for insufficient relevance, and dismissed appeal based on failure to meet three criteria requirement.

A film director and producer claimed four criteria for extraordinary ability. The AAO found only scholarly articles met; awards, original contributions, and leading critical role failed due to insufficient evidence of personal achievement or significant field impact. With one criterion met, appeal dismissed.

A television presenter and actress sought extraordinary ability classification. Although satisfying the display criterion through television and fashion work, she met only one of three required criteria. The AAO affirmed dismissal due to insufficient evidence of sustained acclaim or top-tier standing in the field.

An A&R executive at a music label sought EB-1A extraordinary ability in the arts. The AAO found one criterion met: leading or critical role. Two claimed criteria—original contributions and commercial success—were rejected as lacking evidence of major significance and sales documentation respectively, failing the three-criterion threshold.

A filmmaker and film producer sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. He claimed to meet three criteria: published material, original contributions, and exhibitions. The AAO found published material and exhibitions met but rejected original contributions as lacking demonstration of major significance. The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish the required sustained national or international acclaim.

A disc jockey and music producer sought EB-1A extraordinary ability classification. The AAO found he met two of ten criteria: membership and judging. Awards lacked national recognition, original contributions showed no major field impact, and leadership roles were insufficiently documented. Appeal dismissed; petitioner failed to meet three-criterion minimum.

Film director and screenwriter appealed EB-1A denial. Met only one of ten criteria (judging). AAO reversed director's favorable finding on awards and rejected claims of published material, original contributions, and high salary due to insufficient documentation and specificity.

A pop singer sought extraordinary ability classification, claiming a major award and eight regulatory criteria. The appeals office found no qualifying one-time achievement and fewer than three criteria satisfied, citing missing evidence of recognition, membership requirements, media details and sales receipts. The appeal was dismissed, with the aggregate record also falling short.

A comedic actor sought EB-1A classification. The AAO found she met only the exhibitions criterion but failed membership, published material, judging, original contributions, and critical role criteria. She did not claim or satisfy the threshold major award. The appeal was dismissed because she did not meet the three-criterion minimum.

An actor and voice-acting instructor sought EB-1A classification. The AAO found he met the awards and exhibitions criteria but failed the salary, critical role, and original contributions criteria. With only two of three required criteria satisfied, the appeal was dismissed.

Dancer and choreographer sought extraordinary ability classification. Claimed six criteria but met only one. Decision held that nominating is not receiving an award, performances lack field impact, and background dancer role lacks responsibility for organizational success or commercial outcomes.

A college television station petitioned for a cinematographer and broadcast associate as an artist of extraordinary ability. The appeals office found two criteria satisfied, exhibitions and critical role, and withdrew the director's judging finding. Awards, published material and original contributions failed, so the minimum of three was not reached and the appeal was dismissed.

A post-production designer and animator in advertising and film sought EB-1A classification. The petitioner claimed three criteria but failed to satisfy the plain language requirements of any of them. The AAO dismissed the appeal, finding insufficient evidence of extraordinary ability.

A pianist sought extraordinary ability classification in the arts after the service center denied the petition and dismissed a motion. The AAO dismissed the appeal, finding the award and contribution evidence insufficient, so fewer than three criteria were satisfied, and the overall record did not show sustained acclaim or top-of-field standing.

A singer-actress did not establish extraordinary ability. Published material lacked proper documentation, translations, and evidence of major media publication. Original contributions were unsupported. Petitioner failed to meet three regulatory criteria and did not demonstrate top-tier expertise.

A playwright and theatre artist, self-represented, sought EB-1A classification. The AAO reviewed claimed criteria including awards, membership, published material, and contributions, finding each unmet because of a missing award, non-selective membership, an undated article, and letters lacking major significance. Other claims were abandoned or unclear. The appeal was dismissed.

Musician and composer. Claimed publications, judging, original contributions, and scholarly articles. AAO found judging criterion met but original contributions unsupported by letter quality and scholarly articles deficient due to single submission. Final merits assessment found insufficient evidence of sustained acclaim or top-tier status. Appeal dismissed.

A music producer claimed extraordinary ability based on Latin Grammy nomination and collaboration with a Latin Grammy winner. The AAO dismissed the appeal, finding the nomination insufficient as a major award, web articles not qualifying published material, and the collaboration not demonstrating original contributions of major significance.