dismissed EB-1A

Soccer Coach

Athletics · 2024-12-03

Decision Date
2024-12-03
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 (Not Met)

The Beneficiary did not personally receive the claimed awards; one was for another individual and another for the club. For the award the Beneficiary did receive, national or international recognition for excellence was not established.

Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements (Not Met)

Membership in the FA Coaches' Club was based on basic coaching certification and continuous professional development, not outstanding achievements judged by recognized national or international experts.

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

The Petitioner submitted articles from various websites but failed to provide evidence that these were professional or major trade publications or other major media.

Why This Petition Was Denied

The appeal was dismissed because the Petitioner failed to demonstrate that the Beneficiary met at least three of the ten evidentiary criteria for extraordinary ability. Specifically, the Beneficiary did not receive any nationally or internationally recognized awards personally, membership in the FA Coaches' Club did not require outstanding achievements judged by experts, and published materials were not shown to be from professional or major trade publications or other major media. The decision emphasized that the Beneficiary was not shown to be among the small percentage at the very top of the field.

Evidence

Evidence Types
Awards
Professional Memberships
Media Coverage
Evidence Submitted
  • Claimed receipt of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards
  • Membership in the Football Association (FA) Coaches' Club
  • Published material about the alien in various websites (napavalleyregister.com, npsl.com, patch.com, protagonistsoccer.com, liphookherald.com, haslemerherald.com, bordonherald.com, farnhamherald.com, dailyecho.co.uk, efltrust.com, soccerbayarea.com)
  • O-1 nonimmigrant status approval

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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.

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Case data sourced from publicly available petition decisions and case studies. Decision date: 2024-12-03.

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At a Glance

Outcome dismissed
Criteria Met 0 / 3
Evidence Types 3

EB-1A Case Data

Scraped Case Data

Total Cases 881
Success Rate 52.9%
Sustained 466
Dismissed 299

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