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 research/design engineer with a doctorate in electromagnetics and microwave technology, proposes to continue research and development in a highly specialized technical field supporting U.S. defense, aerospace, and semiconductor industries.
Field: electromagnetics/microwave technology (defense, aerospace, semiconductor R&D) · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
EB-2 threshold — addressed
SCOPS and AAO agreed the Petitioner qualifies as an advanced degree professional.
Prong 1 — national importanceestablished
Prong 2 — well positionedestablished
Prong 3 — balance of factorsestablished
How the evidence was treated
- recommendation letter · credited
- degree · credited
- resume experience · credited
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Notable
AAO reversed SCOPS on all three Dhanasar prongs, explicitly rejecting SCOPS' apparent requirement that a researcher hold as many graduate degrees as the petitioner in Matter of Dhanasar itself, noting Dhanasar 'does not require researchers to have more than two graduate degrees to qualify.'
What this case teaches
Analyst reading of the decision text.
AAO reversed SCOPS on all three prongs: expert letters and a U.S. government-funded role tied the R&D to national strategic interests, closely mirroring Dhanasar, establishing national importance and a waiver's benefit.
Analogize explicitly to Dhanasar: expert letters tying your work to U.S. strategic interests plus government-funded roles can establish national importance, even with fewer degrees than the Dhanasar researcher.
moderate
national_security · us_competitiveness · field_advancement
endeavor_focused
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