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dismissed EB-1A RFE Issued

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Coach

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) · Brazil · 2024-06-21

Decision Date
2024-06-21
Location
Texas
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

2 of 3 criteria met
Judging the Work of Others (Met)

The Director concluded that the Petitioner met this criterion, which was not contested.

Leading or Critical Role (Met)

The Petitioner performed a leading role as the President and founding member of the CBJJE, an organization with a distinguished reputation in Brazil.

Lesser Nationally or Internationally Recognized Awards (Not Met)

The Centenary Medal was awarded after the filing date, and other awards lacked proof of recipient identity or evidence of being for excellence in the field.

Original Contributions of Major Significance (Not Met)

The Petitioner did not demonstrate the originality of his role in founding organizations relative to others or the impact of his teaching methodology outside his own club.

Published Material (Not Met)

Articles submitted were either published after the filing date, did not discuss the Petitioner's work in detail, or were from sources lacking evidence of major media status.

Why This Petition Was Denied

The Petitioner satisfied only two criteria: judging and leading/critical role. He failed the awards criterion because the Centenary Medal was received after the filing date and other medals lacked evidence of being awarded to him personally. The original contributions criterion was not met as there was insufficient evidence that his teaching methodology had a major impact on the field beyond his own organization.

Request for Evidence (RFE)

Unsuccessfully Addressed

The RFE requested evidence for all claimed criteria; the Petitioner responded with additional certificates, articles, and letters, but failed to establish eligibility at the time of filing for several items.

RFE Targets
Lesser Nationally or Internationally Recognized AwardsmembershipsPublished MaterialJudging the Work of OthersOriginal Contributions of Major SignificanceLeading or Critical Role

Evidence

Evidence Types
Awards
Judging Experience
Original Contributions
Leading Role
Media Coverage
Reference Letters Dependent
Reference Letters Independent
Evidence Submitted
  • Judging experience (confirmed by Director)
  • Leading role as President and founding member of the Confederation of Brazilian Sportive Jiu-Jitsu (CBJJE)
  • Founding member of the Federation of Jiu-Jitsu of the State of Sao Paulo (FPJJ)
  • Published book: 'The Art of Jiu-Jitsu' (2021)
  • Articles in TATAME magazine (2001, 2022)
  • Promotion of more than 100 black belts

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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: 2024-06-21.

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At a Glance

Outcome dismissed
RFE Issued
Criteria Met 2 / 3
Evidence Types 7

EB-1A Case Data

Scraped Case Data

Total Cases 883
Success Rate 52.8%
Sustained 466
Dismissed 300

Related Pages

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

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