AAO research
EB-1A three-criterion threshold — AAO decision JAN042005_12B2203: Appeal dismissed (pp. 2, 7). Review source status, procedural posture and the official…
Decision summary: AAO decision JAN042005_12B2203: Appeal dismissed (pp. 2, 7). AAO distinguished the proposed soccer-coach occupation from the beneficiary’s past playing career, found the addressed criteria insufficient, and also found no clear evidence of the proposed U.S. coaching work. The record did not establish three criteria or sustained acclaim (pp. 2–7).
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 | JAN042005_12B2203 |
|---|---|
Decision date as printed | January 4, 2005 |
Classification / field stated in source | Soccer coach/instructor; record relies substantially on the beneficiary’s former professional soccer playing career. |
Procedural posture | Appeal from Vermont Service Center denial of Form I-140; legacy AAO decision. |
Operative disposition | Appeal dismissed (pp. 2, 7). |
Final-merits status | Legacy decision found no eligibility and no sustained top-of-field acclaim; the document does not apply a separate Kazarian final-merits framework (p. 7). |
What the AAO decision addressed
AAO distinguished the proposed soccer-coach occupation from the beneficiary’s past playing career, found the addressed criteria insufficient, and also found no clear evidence of the proposed U.S. coaching work. The record did not establish three criteria or sustained acclaim (pp. 2–7).
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 met — 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 coded — source PDF |
Scholarly authorship | Not coded — 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-cited findings recorded in review
pp. 1–7
How this record may be used in research
Comparison scope: Strong narrow historic comparator for soccer player versus coach/instructor evidence and for prospective-work documentation. Clearly date the decision and do not treat it as a current categorical rule. Individual source-linked historic sports case summary; eligible for narrowly framed player-to-coach comparison.
Editorial use note: Individual source-linked historic sports case summary; eligible for narrowly framed player-to-coach comparison.
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.
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