AAO research

AAO EB-1A decision Apr232009_05B2203: karate competitor / martial arts athlete and artistic display evidence pitfalls for eb‑1a

For EB‑1A petitions involving athletes, merely listing tournament wins or internal certificates is insufficient; you must provide independent, verifiable evidence that the award is nationally or internationally recognized and that the organization’s membership requires outstanding achievement. Indep

Decision Snapshot

Field Value --- --- Decision ID Apr232009_05B2203 Decision date 2009-04-23 Outcome dismissed Field or occupation karate competitor / martial arts athlete Final merits discussed Yes

Criteria Discussed

  • awards

  • high_salary

  • judging

  • leading_critical_role

  • membership

  • original_contributions

  • published_material

Criteria Accepted

Not stated in the extracted decision plan.

Criteria Rejected

  • awards

  • high_salary

  • judging

  • leading_critical_role

  • membership

  • original_contributions

  • published_material

Core Lesson

For EB‑1A petitions involving athletes, merely listing tournament wins or internal certificates is insufficient; you must provide independent, verifiable evidence that the award is nationally or internationally recognized and that the organization’s membership requires outstanding achievement.

Evidence Issue

  • Independent, third‑party verification that the award is nationally or internationally recognized

  • Evidence showing the prestige, significance, and competitive level of the tournament

  • Comparative salary data to demonstrate a high salary relative to others in the field

  • Proof that the petitioner’s judging or refereeing role meets the “judging” criterion

  • Documentation that the organization has a distinguished reputation and that the role is a leading or critical one

  • Evidence that the organization’s membership requires outstanding achievement (e.g., black‑belt requirement)

  • Reference letters establishing original contributions of major significance

  • Publications that are primarily about the petitioner and appear in major or professional media

How This Connects

This decision is part of Extraordinary's AAO EB-1A corpus. It is exposed as a structured decision card so readers, search engines, and AI search systems can connect the decision to broader EB-1A evidence patterns.

Source Note

Non-precedent AAO decisions are used as evidence examples. They are not binding authority and do not predict any individual case.