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.
A former police officer and self-described security and counterintelligence analyst and forensic science expert proposed to direct a New York-based company providing digital forensic and cybersecurity consulting services to U.S. businesses.
Field: security and counterintelligence analysis / digital forensics and cybersecurity consulting · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
EB-2 threshold — not met
Petitioner failed to establish she held a foreign equivalent U.S. bachelor's degree (only two years of the four generally required were shown) for the advanced-degree-professional pathway, and failed to meet at least three of the six exceptional-ability criteria, as her employer letters conflicted on the length of her employment and showed less than ten years of experience.
How the evidence was treated
- degree · discounted
“the new evaluation is of little weight because it does not explain how the Petitioner's five semesters of education are equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree”
AAO decision text - resume experience · discounted
“The Petitioner has not submitted letters from employer(s) showing that she has at least ten years of experience as a security and counterintelligence analyst and forensic science expert”
AAO decision text
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Notable
The AAO's threshold EB-2 classification finding (neither advanced-degree professional nor exceptional ability) was dispositive; it expressly declined to reach the national interest waiver analysis at all, so none of the three Dhanasar prongs were ever analyzed.
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.
- Kazarian v. USCIS
- Matter of L-A-C-
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