AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision FEB092022_01B2203: Judging the work of others

AAO EB-1A decision FEB092022_01B2203: Judging the work of others

EB-1A judging the work of others — AAO decision FEB092022_01B2203: Combined motions dismissed; prior AAO decision remains in effect. Review source status…

Decision summary: AAO decision FEB092022_01B2203: Combined motions dismissed; prior AAO decision remains in effect. Original Director found four criteria but denied at final merits; on appeal AAO found only judging and scholarly articles met and withdrew original-contributions and leading-role findings; fewer than three criteria. Current third motion was untimely (357 and 364 days after decision) and improperly filed/identified; petitioner showed neither legal error nor new evidence to reopen.

Source limitation: The review record contains a source hold or limitation. Read the limitation below before relying on any case detail; unresolved facts are not treated as findings.

Scope classification from review: In scope; verified in source review. This is a source-review label, not a legal conclusion.

Decision snapshot

Decision ID

FEB092022_01B2203

Decision date as printed

February 9, 2022

Classification / field stated in source

EB-1A extraordinary ability; field: plant pathology researcher.

Procedural posture

Third motion to reopen/reconsider after original appeal and two motions; motion relates to filing of combined motions on Director decision rather than AAO appellate decision.

Operative disposition

Combined motions dismissed; prior AAO decision remains in effect.

Final-merits status

Prior Director reached adverse final merits, but AAO appeal found fewer than three criteria and did not reach final merits; current motion does not reopen merits.

What the AAO decision addressed

Original Director found four criteria but denied at final merits; on appeal AAO found only judging and scholarly articles met and withdrew original-contributions and leading-role findings; fewer than three criteria. Current third motion was untimely (357 and 364 days after decision) and improperly filed/identified; petitioner showed neither legal error nor new evidence to reopen.

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 coded — source PDF

Membership

Not coded — source PDF

Published material about the person

Not coded — source PDF

Judging the work of others

met — source PDF

Original contributions of major significance

not met — source PDF

Scholarly authorship

met — source PDF

Artistic display or showcases

Not coded — source PDF

Leading or critical role

not met — source PDF

High salary or remuneration

Not coded — source PDF

Commercial success in the performing arts

Not coded — source PDF

Source holds and limits

"Do not attribute the Director’s adverse final merits to the AAO appeal; AAO found the threshold criteria unmet and did not reach a fresh final-merits determination."

Source-cited findings recorded in review

  • PDF p. 1: Cover identifies Feb. 9, 2022, motion on AAO decision, EB-1A plant pathology researcher; this is a third motion.

  • PDF p. 2: Prior Director findings and AAO appeal result summarized; only judging and scholarly articles remained met; prior motions filed after 357/364 days; AAO addresses Form I-290B identification and lack of legal error/new facts.

  • PDF p. 3: Third combined motion to reconsider/reopen dismissed; prior appellate decision affirmed.

How this record may be used in research

Comparison scope: Procedural-only comparison for motion timeliness, correct decision identification, and distinguishing underlying final-merits reasoning from later motion posture.

Page-level source trail

Use the official PDF and the cited physical page numbers to check each statement.

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.

Related corpus research

  • Full-corpus research index

  • Judging the work of others research

  • Original contributions of major significance research

  • Scholarly authorship research

  • Leading or critical role research

  • Medicine sector research

  • Final Merits research

  • Untimely research

Browse the AAO decision index · Read EB-1A evidence guides · Review source and correction methodology.

Primary source

Official USCIS AAO decision PDF for FEB092022_01B2203