AAO research
EB-1A leading or critical role — AAO decision APR192016_01B2203: Appeal dismissed. Review source status, procedural posture and the official USCIS PDF.
Decision summary: AAO decision APR192016_01B2203: Appeal dismissed. The artistic-display criterion was met, while awards, published material and original contributions were not; the appeal did not contest other adverse findings. Fewer than three criteria were established, so no separate final-merits step followed. (pp. 2–9).
Source reviewed: This page summarizes the specific AAO source and posture recorded in the completed source-review tracker. It does not turn a nonprecedent decision into a general rule.
Scope classification from review: in_scope_EB1A_source_reviewed. This is a source-review label, not a legal conclusion.
Decision snapshot
Decision ID | APR192016_01B2203 |
|---|---|
Decision date as printed | April 19, 2016 |
Classification / field stated in source | Arts/business; jewelry designer |
Procedural posture | Appeal of Texas Service Center denial; AAO de novo review. |
Operative disposition | Appeal dismissed. |
Final-merits status | No separate final-merits determination because fewer than three criteria were established. The AAO separately observed the record did not establish sustained acclaim. (pp. 8–9) |
What the AAO decision addressed
Appeal dismissed. The artistic-display criterion was met, while awards, published material and original contributions were not; the appeal did not contest other adverse findings. Fewer than three criteria were established, so no separate final-merits step followed. (pp. 2–9)
Criterion-by-criterion status in this source
These labels reproduce the source-review record. “Not considered,” “not reached,” and “not coded” do not mean the criterion failed. A Director finding recited as background is not an AAO holding unless the decision says so.
Criterion | Source-review status |
|---|---|
Awards | Not met — source PDF |
Membership | Not coded — source PDF |
Published material about the person | Not met — source PDF |
Judging the work of others | Not coded — source PDF |
Original contributions of major significance | Not met — source PDF |
Scholarly authorship | Not coded — source PDF |
Artistic display or showcases | Not coded — source PDF |
Leading or critical role | abandoned |
High salary or remuneration | Abandoned or waived — source PDF |
Commercial success in the performing arts | Not coded — source PDF |
How this record may be used in research
Comparison scope: Source-cited explainer can separate exhibition evidence from award evidence and distinguish a product’s originality from major significance.
Page-level source trail
Use the official PDF and the cited physical page numbers to check each statement.
Open the official USCIS decision PDF. Page-specific citations were not available in the normalized row.
How to use this record
This is a historical, nonprecedent AAO decision about its own administrative record. It is not a prediction, success rate, or current filing instruction. Compare the issue and procedural stage before drawing an analogy. The current framework is in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2.
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