The Petitioner, a veterinarian, proposed to work as an animal health specialist providing medical and surgical care, dermatology treatment, and clinical pathology diagnostics for companion animals, along with services and programs related to emotional support animals.

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

“Exploration of these several possibilities does not adequately support that the endeavor rises to the level of national importance.”

“the relevant question is not the importance of the industry, field, or profession in which an individual will work; instead, to assess national importance, we focus on the potential prospective impact of the "specific endeavor”

“The record does not contain evidence that would support the conclusion that the Petitioner's proposed endeavor would lessen the shmiage of veterinarians or increase access to mental healthcare in the United States on a scale commensurate with national importance.”

“The "Probative Evidence" does not suppmi how the Petitioner's particular endeavor rises to national importance, but rather addresses the state of mental health in America and generally that there is a shortage of veterinarians.”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

• business plan · discounted

  “Exploration of these several possibilities does not adequately support that the endeavor rises to the level of national importance.”

  AAO decision text
• resume experience · discounted

  “evidence of the Petitioner's education, skills, and expertise, including work experience, generally relates to the second prong of the Dhanasar framework”

  AAO decision text
• other · discounted

  “The "Probative Evidence" does not suppmi how the Petitioner's particular endeavor rises to national importance, but rather addresses the state of mental health in America and generally that there is a shortage of veterinarians.”

  AAO decision text
• recommendation letter · discounted

  “she offers little corroborative evidence or explanation to support these claims”

  AAO decision text
• degree · credited

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
• 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
• Occupational shortage argument rejected · p1 — argues a labor shortage — the labor-certification question, not Dhanasar

Notable

AAO footnote relies on AACRAO EDGE database finding that the Petitioner's foreign veterinary doctoral diploma is equivalent only to a U.S. vocational/specialized high-school curriculum, yet the Director and AAO still found the advanced-degree EB-2 threshold satisfied. The Petitioner submitted an extensive 'Probative Evidence' exhibit of general policy/fact-sheet documents (COVID, mental health, veterinarian shortage) that the AAO found did not tie to her specific endeavor.

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. 204.5(k)(2)
• Flores v. Garland
• Matter of E-M-
• Matter of L-A-C-

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