AAO research
EB-1A appeal disposition — AAO decision MAR192009_02B2203: Appeal dismissed (see cited pages). Review source status, procedural posture and the official…
Decision summary: AAO decision MAR192009_02B2203: Appeal dismissed (see cited pages). Gold at a 1997 World Wushu Championship was the only internationally recognized award established, ten years before filing. Later awards and press did not establish sustained acclaim; membership did not apply to personal athlete membership; contributions, authorship/media and judging failed. The decision distinguishes athlete from coach as different areas of expertise. (pp. 3–7).
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 | MAR192009_02B2203 |
|---|---|
Decision date as printed | March 19, 2009 |
Classification / field stated in source | Egyptian kickboxer/Sanda competitor who also described post-competition coaching/instruction. |
Procedural posture | Appeal of Nebraska Service Center denial; appeal dismissed. |
Operative disposition | Appeal dismissed (see cited pages). |
Final-merits status | Adverse aggregate assessment; no sustained acclaim or top-of-field status established (p. 7). |
What the AAO decision addressed
Gold at a 1997 World Wushu Championship was the only internationally recognized award established, ten years before filing. Later awards and press did not establish sustained acclaim; membership did not apply to personal athlete membership; contributions, authorship/media and judging failed. The decision distinguishes athlete from coach as different areas of expertise. (pp. 3–7)
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 met — 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 | 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. 1–7
How this record may be used in research
Comparison scope: Useful coach/athlete distinction and filing-date comparator; strong fit with sports cases, but keep the 2009 decision’s reasoning attributed to its record. Individual source-cited case page. No editorial hold.
Editorial use note: Individual source-cited case page. No editorial hold.
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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