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dismissed EB-1A RFE Issued

Hockey Referee

Hockey · Belarus · 2024-04-30

Decision Date
2024-04-30
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

1 of 3 criteria met
Leading or critical role for organizations with a distinguished reputation (Met)

The Director originally found that the Petitioner met this criterion, which was not contested in the appeal.

Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements (Not Met)

Petitioner established membership in IHFRB but failed to show the association requires outstanding achievements judged by experts.

Participation as a judge of the work of others (Not Met)

Refereeing games was deemed rule enforcement rather than judging the work of others; evidence of being an 'inspector' lacked specific details and corroboration.

Original contributions of major significance (Not Met)

Reference letters were general and failed to identify specific original contributions that remarkably impacted the field of hockey officiating.

Display of work at artistic exhibitions or showcases (Not Met)

Hockey games are competitive rather than artistic, and the skill on display is that of the athletes, not the referee.

Why This Petition Was Denied

The appeal was dismissed because the Petitioner met only one criterion (leading/critical role) instead of the required three. He failed to provide evidence of original contributions of major significance, and his work as a referee was not considered comparable to an artistic exhibition. Additionally, evidence regarding memberships and judging roles lacked sufficient detail and corroboration.

Request for Evidence (RFE)

Unsuccessfully Addressed

The RFE requested evidence that the Petitioner's membership in the IHFRB required outstanding achievements. The Petitioner failed to provide specific evidence or explanation to address this requirement.

RFE Targets
Membership in associations requiring outstanding achievements

Evidence

Evidence Types
Professional Memberships
Judging Experience
Original Contributions
Reference Letters Dependent
Evidence Submitted
  • Officiated games as linesman and head referee at national and international levels
  • International referee license
  • Membership in the Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of Belarus (IHFRB)
  • Reference letters from colleagues and officials (e.g., V-R-, U-R-, M-S-)
  • Selection for youth world championship tournaments
  • Post-game reports and training/mentoring of new referees

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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: 2024-04-30.

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At a Glance

Outcome dismissed
RFE Issued
Criteria Met 1 / 3
Evidence Types 4

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 Belarus All EB-1A Cases EB-1A Dashboard

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