dismissedAUG132024_01B52032024-08-13 · appeal · Texas Service Center
This is an AAO appeal decision — a case denied once and appealed. It shows how the framework is applied; it is not the filing population.
The Petitioner sought to establish a water polo club/aquatic center in Georgia offering water polo and swimming lessons to local residents.
Field: athletics/sports coaching (water polo) · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive
“the matter here is not whether societal and health issues, as well as the topics of shortages of physical education teachers and coaches, or similarly related subjects, are nationally important”
“The record does not show through supporting documentation how her endeavor sufficiently extends beyond her prospective clients, to impact the field or the U.S. economy more broadly”
“the Petitioner did not present any supporting evidence, corroborating the assertions and figures”
“the Petitioner did not establish the significance of this data to show that the benefits to the regional or national economy would reach the level of "substantial positive economic effects"”
AAO decision text
How the evidence was treated
- business plan · discounted
“the Petitioner did not present any supporting evidence, corroborating the assertions and figures”
AAO decision text - resume experience · discounted
“the Petitioner's knowledge, skills, and abilities relate to the second prong of the Dhanasar framework”
AAO decision text
Where this case turned
- Business plan speculative · p1 — projections without a documented basis or steps
- Economic claims unsupported · p1 — job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
- Field importance conflated with endeavor · p1 — argues the field matters, not the specific endeavor
- Local, not national scope · p1 — impact confined to clients / a region
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Notable
AAO sua sponte withdrew the Director's finding of a material change in the proposed endeavor (from coach to club founder), ruling in Petitioner's favor on that point, yet still dismissed on prong 1 national importance grounds; the decision expressly frames each independent basis as alternate grounds for dismissal.
Authorities this decision leans on
From the doctrinal survivor set — 187 authority tests across 47 distinct authorities cleared the differential-lift gates. Only those appear here.
- 8 C.F.R. 103.3
- INA 203(b)(2)
- Matter of L-A-C-
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