AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision NOV162023_02B2203: Leading or critical role

AAO EB-1A decision NOV162023_02B2203: Leading or critical role

EB-1A leading or critical role — AAO decision NOV162023_02B2203: Appeal dismissed (see cited pages). Review source status, procedural posture and the…

Decision summary: AAO decision NOV162023_02B2203: Appeal dismissed (see cited pages). Awards, memberships, published material, original contributions, and leading/critical role were not established. Judging was reserved because it could not change the failure to meet three criteria. (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

NOV162023_02B2203

Decision date as printed

November 16, 2023

Classification / field stated in source

Choreography, specifically flamenco dance and operation of a dance studio.

Procedural posture

Appeal of Texas Service Center denial; appeal dismissed.

Operative disposition

Appeal dismissed (see cited pages).

Final-merits status

Not reached as a formal separate final-merits determination because the initial threshold was not met; AAO said aggregate evidence did not establish required acclaim. (p. 7)

What the AAO decision addressed

Awards, memberships, published material, original contributions, and leading/critical role were not established. Judging was reserved because it could not change the failure to meet three criteria. (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 reached — source PDF

Original contributions of major significance

Not met — source PDF

Scholarly authorship

Not considered — source PDF

Artistic display or showcases

Not coded — source PDF

Leading or critical role

not met
Studio’s distinguished reputation and petitioner’s leading/critical role were not established. (pp. 6–7) — source PDF

High salary or remuneration

Not considered — source PDF

Commercial success in the performing arts

Not considered — source PDF

Source-cited findings recorded in review

  • (p. 3)

  • (p. 7)

  • (pp. 2–3)

  • (pp. 2–7)

  • (pp. 4–5)

  • (pp. 5–6)

  • (pp. 6–7)

How this record may be used in research

Comparison scope: Useful choreography comparator on student awards versus choreographic excellence, studio reputation, and claims about original contributions. Individual case page; clearly distinguish explicitly denied criteria from judging reserved as unnecessary.

Editorial use note: Individual case page; clearly distinguish explicitly denied criteria from judging reserved as unnecessary.

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

  • Leading or critical role research

  • Performance sector research

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

Primary source

Official USCIS AAO decision PDF for NOV162023_02B2203