AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision APR122021_01B2203: public relations / communications and common pitfalls in proving awards for eb‑1a

Industry-specific awards and campaign work often do not satisfy the EB‑1A awards or original contributions criteria; petitioners must provide evidence of a major, internationally recognized award or truly groundbreaking contributions. No major, internationally recognized award meeting the high bar f

Decision Snapshot

Field Value --- --- Decision ID APR122021_01B2203 Decision date 2021-04-12 Outcome sustained Field or occupation public relations / communications Final merits discussed Yes

Criteria Discussed

  • awards

  • high_salary

  • judging

  • leading_critical_role

  • original_contributions

  • published_material

Criteria Accepted

  • high_salary

  • judging

  • leading_critical_role

Criteria Rejected

  • awards

  • original_contributions

Core Lesson

Industry-specific awards and campaign work often do not satisfy the EB‑1A awards or original contributions criteria; petitioners must provide evidence of a major, internationally recognized award or truly groundbreaking contributions.

Evidence Issue

  • No major, internationally recognized award meeting the high bar for the awards criterion

  • Insufficient proof that the PR campaigns constituted original contributions of major significance

  • Lack of documented sustained national or international acclaim tied to the claimed awards

How This Connects

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