The Petitioner proposed to conduct research on climate-resilient farming systems, examining toxicological risks of hazardous metals in wastewater-irrigated soils to develop science-backed strategies for soil monitoring and remediation, aiming to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability in drought-impacted U.S. regions.

Prong 1 — national importanceestablished

Prong 2 — well positionednot established · dispositive

“a degree in and of itself, is not a basis to determine that a person is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor”

“master's degrees and a record of publications are not, on their own, sufficient to demonstrate that the Petitioner is particularly well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor”

“The Petitioner's citation record must be weighed alongside other qualitative indicators of impact and influence”

“these letters are supportive in tone and positive factors, they do not offer sufficient, detailed, and concrete examples of how the Petitioner's research has been adopted”

“the Petitioner has not provided evidence of progress towards achieving the specific goals of her proposed endeavor, research plan, timeline, funding information”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

• recommendation letter · discounted

  “they do not offer sufficient, detailed, and concrete examples of how the Petitioner's research has been adopted, applied in practical settings”

  AAO decision text
• citations publications · discounted

  “citation frequency, which may include self-citations, is quantitative in nature and does not reveal the reasons for the citations”

  AAO decision text
• degree · discounted

  “a degree in and of itself, is not a basis to determine that a person is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor”

  AAO decision text
• resume experience · discounted

  “the Petitioner has not provided sufficient documentation detailing how she plans to carry out her proposed research activities”

  AAO decision text

Where this case turned

• Citations insufficient · p2 — citation counts without qualitative account of impact
• Education alone insufficient · p2 — degrees offered as positioning — credentials are not a track record
• Letters conclusory · p2 — letters praise skills in general terms without tracing specific impact
• No progress evidence · p2 — no documented movement toward the endeavor since filing
• Record of success insufficient · p2 — a claimed track record the documents do not establish

Notable

AAO explicitly rejected the Petitioner's argument that SCOPS applied a heightened evidentiary standard by considering 'influence' under prong two, and distinguished the case from Dhanasar's own facts (three advanced degrees including a PhD, government funding, and national-security significance) to show why this Petitioner's credentials and citation record were comparatively insufficient. The AAO expressly reserved the third prong under Bagamasbad/L-A-C- since the second prong was dispositive.

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. 103.3
• Chen v. INS
• Flores v. Garland
• Matter of L-A-C-
• USCIS Policy Manual F.5(D)(1)
• USCIS Policy Manual F.5(D)(2)

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