AAO research
EB-1A awards — AAO decision NOV272020_07B2203: Appeal dismissed. Review source status, procedural posture and the official USCIS PDF.
Decision summary: The AAO Appeal dismissed Three initial criteria (judging, artistic display, leading/critical role) are met, but the total record does not show sustained acclaim or placement among the small percentage at the top of graphic design. High salary is not established; appeal dismissed.
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: The physical source identifies an AAO appeal concerning an EB-1A extraordinary-ability Form I-140.. This is a source-review label, not a legal conclusion.
Decision snapshot
Decision ID | NOV272020_07B2203 |
|---|---|
Decision date as printed | November 27, 2020 |
Classification / field stated in source | EB-1A extraordinary ability (Form I-140) |
Procedural posture | Nonprecedent AAO appeal from Nebraska Service Center denial of EB-1A Form I-140; appeal dismissed after final-merits determination. |
Operative disposition | Appeal dismissed |
Final-merits status | The decision expressly reaches a separate final-merits determination after finding the three initial criteria met and concludes the record does not establish sustained acclaim. |
What the AAO decision addressed
Three initial criteria (judging, artistic display, leading/critical role) are met, but the total record does not show sustained acclaim or placement among the small percentage at the top of graphic design. High salary is not established; appeal dismissed.
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 | abandoned — p. 2 |
Membership | Not considered — source PDF |
Published material about the person | Not considered — source PDF |
Judging the work of others | |
Original contributions of major significance | abandoned — p. 2 |
Scholarly authorship | Not considered — source PDF |
Artistic display or showcases | |
Leading or critical role | |
High salary or remuneration | |
Commercial success in the performing arts |
Source-cited findings recorded in review
claim: Petitioner worked as manager of creative services and senior graphic designer; the director found judging, artistic display and leading/critical role established, satisfying initial evidence threshold.; evidence_pages: 1; 2; 3
claim: In final merits, AAO recognizes judging at Connections trade shows, exhibit participation and a critical role for employer, but questions whether event judging/display shows sustained national acclaim.; evidence_pages: 4; 5
claim: Company role evidence does not show that petitioner’s achievements were recognized beyond employer or that he was among the small percentage at the top of the field.; evidence_pages: 6; 7
claim: High salary claim fails because wages and comparative occupational data do not show top-of-field remuneration; final merits unfavorable and appeal dismissed.; evidence_pages: 7; 8; 9
How this record may be used in research
Comparison scope: Eligible with caveats
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
Awards research
Membership research
Published material about the person research
Judging the work of others research
Original contributions of major significance research
Scholarly authorship research
Artistic display or showcases research
Leading or critical role research
High salary or remuneration research
Commercial success in the performing arts research
Performance sector research
Threshold research
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