AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision JAN292021_02B2203: Original contributions of major significance

AAO EB-1A decision JAN292021_02B2203: Original contributions of major significance

EB-1A original contributions of major significance — AAO decision JAN292021_02B2203: Appeal dismissed. Review source status, procedural posture and the…

Decision summary: AAO decision JAN292021_02B2203: Appeal dismissed. The petitioner does not meet the original-contributions criterion: recommendation letters and examples of projects do not establish that the petitioner’s work was widely implemented or of major significance. Fewer than three criteria are established and aggregate record does not show sustained acclaim.

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; verified in source review. This is a source-review label, not a legal conclusion.

Decision snapshot

Decision ID

JAN292021_02B2203

Decision date as printed

January 29, 2021

Classification / field stated in source

EB-1A; architectural designer

Procedural posture

Appeal from Texas Service Center denial.

Operative disposition

Appeal dismissed.

Final-merits status

"not met"

What the AAO decision addressed

The petitioner does not meet the original-contributions criterion: recommendation letters and examples of projects do not establish that the petitioner’s work was widely implemented or of major significance. Fewer than three criteria are established and aggregate record does not show sustained acclaim.

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

Not coded — source PDF

Original contributions of major significance

not met
Letters and project examples do not show broad implementation, field impact, or major significance attributable to petitioner (pp. 2–4). — source PDF

Scholarly authorship

Not coded — source PDF

Artistic display or showcases

Not coded — source PDF

Leading or critical role

Not coded — 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. 1–5; each criterion basis includes pinpoint page citations.

How this record may be used in research

Comparison scope: Architect example for distinguishing participation in notable projects and positive letters from independently documented impact attributable to the architect. eligible_for_editorial_review_with_citations

Editorial use note: eligible_for_editorial_review_with_citations

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

  • Original contributions of major significance research

  • Performance sector research

  • Other Named Professions sector research

  • Major Significance research

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

Primary source

Official USCIS AAO decision PDF for JAN292021_02B2203