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dismissed EB-1A RFE Issued

Actress

Acting · Kazakhstan · 2025-01-08

Decision Date
2025-01-08
This case is from a USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) appeal decision. Appeal cases represent a subset of petitions and may not reflect typical outcomes.

Framework Evaluation

0 of 3 criteria met
Lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence (Not Met)

The Petitioner did not establish that her awards were reflective of excellence in the field of acting, nor that they were nationally or internationally recognized. Some awards were for vocal performance, received after the filing date, or were general recognitions not specific to acting excellence.

Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements of their members (Not Met)

The Petitioner did not provide sufficient evidence that the Union of Theater Workers of Kazakhstan required outstanding achievements as judged by national or international experts for membership, only basic requirements and work experience.

Published material about the noncitizen in professional or major trade publications or other major media (Not Met)

The Petitioner submitted articles but failed to provide objective circulation statistics or sufficient evidence to establish that Alash Ainasy and Qazaq Abebieti were professional or major trade publications or other major media.

Original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance in the field (Not Met)

The submitted recommendation letters, while complimentary of the Petitioner's talents, did not sufficiently articulate how her performances represented original contributions of major significance within the field of acting.

High salary or other significantly high remuneration for services (Not Met)

The Petitioner provided salary certificates but did not offer objective support or comparative data to demonstrate that her salaries were high in relation to other actors in Kazakhstan with similar experience.

Why This Petition Was Denied

The appeal was dismissed because the Petitioner failed to demonstrate eligibility under at least three of the ten EB-1A criteria. Specifically, the Petitioner did not establish that her awards were nationally or internationally recognized for excellence in acting, that her association memberships required outstanding achievements as judged by experts, that published materials about her were in major media, that her contributions were original and of major significance, or that her salary was high relative to others in the field. The AAO found the evidence insufficient to show sustained national or international acclaim and that she is among the small percentage at the very top of her field.

Request for Evidence (RFE)

Unsuccessfully Addressed

The RFE questioned the lack of evidence establishing that the Union of Theater Workers of Kazakhstan required outstanding achievements for membership. The petitioner responded by submitting a translated document outlining membership requirements, but it did not indicate that outstanding achievements were a prerequisite.

RFE Targets
Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements of their members

Evidence

Evidence Types
Awards
Professional Memberships
Media Coverage
Reference Letters Dependent
Original Contributions
High Salary
Evidence Submitted
  • diploma for Best Performance at the 9th International Festival (not individually awarded, not proven nationally/internationally recognized for acting excellence)
  • Grand Prix Award for vocal performance at the 11th International Music Festival (received after filing date, not in acting field)
  • Unity and Friendship Badge (not specific to acting excellence)
  • Certificate of Honor (not specific to acting excellence, insufficient documentation)
  • membership in the Union of Theater Workers of Kazakhstan (did not require outstanding achievements as judged by experts)
  • interview published in Alash Ainasy (Alash Mirror) (insufficient proof of major media status/circulation statistics)
  • interview published in Qazaq Abebieti (Kazakh Literature) (insufficient proof of major media status/circulation statistics)
  • support letters from industry experts (did not sufficiently articulate how contributions were original and of major significance)
  • salary certificates from (insufficient objective support or comparative data to demonstrate high salary)

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Frequently Asked Questions

A dismissed EB-1A petition means USCIS found the evidence insufficient to meet the eligibility criteria. Common reasons include weak documentation, failure to meet the required number of criteria, or insufficient evidence of the claimed qualifications. Petitioners can refile with stronger evidence or explore alternative visa categories.

Browse More Cases

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Case data sourced from publicly available petition decisions and case studies. Decision date: 2025-01-08.

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At a Glance

Outcome dismissed
RFE Issued
Criteria Met 0 / 3
Evidence Types 6

EB-1A Case Data

Scraped Case Data

Total Cases 881
Success Rate 52.9%
Sustained 466
Dismissed 299

Related Pages

EB-1A Overview EB-1A in Kazakhstan All EB-1A Cases EB-1A Dashboard

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