NIW Bearings
dismissedDEC122022_04B52032022-12-12 · 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.

Petitioner, a former Brazilian military servicemember, proposed to work as a 'security management specialist' conducting security assessments and designing security systems for U.S. organizations, later asserting he would do so through his own company.

Field: security management · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

EB-2 threshold — not met

Petitioner failed to establish eligibility as an individual of exceptional ability under 8 C.F.R. 204.5(k)(3)(ii), meeting at most one of six regulatory criteria (experience, license/certification, and membership all found unmet); also failed to consistently describe the nature of his occupation/endeavor, with his appeal brief introducing a new, materially changed description involving founding his own company.

How the evidence was treated

  • resume experience · discounted
    the evidence does not establish the duties he performed in the military were in a security-related occupation
    AAO decision text
  • certification membership · discounted
    he does not identify or discuss the specific evidence, if any, in the record that should be considered
    AAO decision text
  • other · discounted
    Failure to submit requested evidence which precludes a material line of inquiry shall be grounds for denying the [petition]
    AAO decision text

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Notable

This decision resolves entirely at the threshold EB-2 exceptional-ability stage; the AAO explicitly declines to reach the NIW/Dhanasar prongs as unnecessary once threshold eligibility fails, citing Bagamasbad and Matter of M-F-O-. The AAO also invokes issue-waiver doctrine repeatedly, deeming several of Petitioner's criteria arguments waived for lack of specificity on appeal, and rejects a late-filed business/company narrative as a material, retroactive change to the proposed endeavor under Izummi/Katigbak.

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)
  • Matter of Ho
  • Matter of Izummi
  • Matter of Katigbak

Cases in adjacent profiles