Soccer (Football) Player

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.

The motion to reconsider was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish that the prior decision misapplied law or USCIS policy. The AAO affirmed that the beneficiary did not meet the required three out of ten EB-1A criteria. The 2018 award lacked evidence of national or international recognition, and the FA Coaches' Club membership requirements were deemed basic, not 'outstanding achievements' judged by experts. Furthermore, the submitted articles about the beneficiary lacked evidence of appearing in 'professional or major trade publications or other major media' due to missing circulation/readership data and target audience information.

The appeal was dismissed because the Petitioner met zero of the required three criteria. Specifically, evidence for awards (8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3)(i)) lacked context on significance, and membership evidence (8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3)(ii)) failed to prove the 'outstanding achievements' requirement for the National Snowboarding Team. Other claimed criteria (published material and judging) were not reached as the first two were dispositive.

The appeal was dismissed because the Petitioner failed to demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim and that he is among the small percentage at the very top of his field, despite meeting three initial criteria. Evidence of published material about the Petitioner was limited to 2023-2024, failing to show sustained acclaim over a long period. A single article published in 1990 lacked evidence of citations or sustained acclaim. A leading or critical role in 2014 also lacked evidence of sustained acclaim. Contributions to employers were noted, but major significance to the broader field of Stage Construction and Engineering as it applies to Art, Theatre, and Film Production was not established. Furthermore, the record lacked comparative salary data to prove a high salary in relation to others in the field, which would indicate being at the very top.