dismissedAUG262024_05B52032024-08-26 · 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, a business administrator, proposed to continue working in business administration/management roles, asserting broad benefits to businesses and the U.S. economy.

Field: business administration · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

EB-2 threshold — addressed

Director found Petitioner qualifies as an advanced degree professional; this was not disputed on appeal.

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

“The evidence provided does not demonstrate that this specific endeavor is of national importance.”

“the brief and the record does not sufficiently explain how her employment as an individual business administrator would impact the overall field more broadly beyond her employer on the level of national importance.”

“the brief does not supply sufficient explanations to clarify how her skills differ deeply or what solutions she will offer to benefit the community.”

“this focus is misplaced as is not the importance of the field that determines an endeavor's national importance, but rather how the specific endeavor will impact the field”

“the Petitioner has not supported her claims with evidence to establish how the economic activity of her proposed endeavor as an individual business administrator would rise to the level of national importance.”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

recommendation letter · discounted
“the advisory opinion is of little probative value as Dr. ... evaluation of national importance does not adequately address the requirements of Dhanasar”
AAO decision text
resume experience · discounted
“this type of evidence is more appropriate for the second prong when determining if the petitioner is well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor.”
AAO decision text
certification membership · discounted
“the evidence shows that the Petitioner began the position and completed the training after the petition's filing.”
AAO decision text
other · discounted
“statements in a brief, motion, or Notice of Appeal are not evidence and thus are not entitled to any evidentiary weight”
AAO decision text

Where this case turned

Economic claims unsupported · p1 — job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
Employer-specific benefit · p1 — "work furthers my company's product" — value accrues to one firm
Endeavor too vague · p1 — described as a job role, not a defined undertaking
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 explicitly notes RFE-submitted training certificate and updated employment documentation were dated after filing and thus disregarded under the filing-date eligibility rule (8 C.F.R. 103.2(b)(1),(12)).

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. 103.2(b)(1)
8 C.F.R. 103.3
8 C.F.R. 204.5(k)(2)
Flores v. Garland
Matter of L-A-C-

What this case teaches

Analyst reading of the decision text.

Decisive factor

Petitioner failed to show the specific endeavor's impact extends beyond her individual employer(s) to the broader field, region, or national economy, as required for national importance.

Transferable lesson

Define a concrete endeavor and support it with evidence quantifying impact beyond the employer—generic economic-contribution assertions and skill-focused expert letters cannot satisfy prong one.

Endeavor framing

vague

National-importance theory

economic_growth_generic · field_advancement

Evidence targeting

person_focused

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