AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision APR062020_03B2203: karate and common pitfalls in proving awards for eb-1a

Awards from niche sports must be proven to be nationally or internationally recognized, and books must satisfy scholarly‑article standards; generic competition results and self‑published books are insufficient for EB‑1A eligibility. Evidence did not establish that the karate awards are nationally or

Decision Snapshot

Field Value --- --- Decision ID APR062020_03B2203 Decision date not stated in the extraction Outcome dismissed Field or occupation karate Final merits discussed No / not stated

Criteria Discussed

  • awards

  • scholarly_articles

Criteria Accepted

Not stated in the extracted decision plan.

Criteria Rejected

  • awards

  • scholarly_articles

Core Lesson

Awards from niche sports must be proven to be nationally or internationally recognized, and books must satisfy scholarly‑article standards; generic competition results and self‑published books are insufficient for EB‑1A eligibility.

Evidence Issue

  • Evidence did not establish that the karate awards are nationally or internationally recognized

  • Books did not meet the definition of qualifying scholarly articles

How This Connects

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Source Note

Non-precedent AAO decisions are used as evidence examples. They are not binding authority and do not predict any individual case.