NIW Bearings
summary_dismissalJUN282017_02B52032017-06-28 · 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.

The Petitioner, a psychiatrist and medical researcher, proposed to establish a psychiatric clinic and mental health education center in the United States to share her clinical knowledge with other medical professionals and patients.

Field: psychiatry / medical research · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

Prong 1 — national importancenot established

she has not provided sufficient details about the size, location, and staffing of this establishment
the Petitioner has not established the implications of her proposed endeavor or its potential prospective impact on the United States

AAO decision text

Prong 2 — well positionednot established

the Petitioner has not demonstrated a record of success or progress in her field, or a degree of interest in her work from relevant parties
the reference letters discussing the Petitioner's work do not provide sufficient detail explaining how her work renders her well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor
she has not provided evidence or information demonstrating a history of success in any similar entrepreneurial endeavors, showing the interest of relevant parties in her proposal, documenting how she will secure funding

AAO decision text

Prong 3 — balance of factorsnot established

she has not, for instance, sent information or evidence outlining why a labor certification would be impractical in her case
whether the United States would benefit from her contributions even if other U.S. workers are also available; or whether urgency warrants foregoing the labor certification process

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

  • recommendation letter · discounted
    These are general statements affirming the Petitioner's clinical acumen; however, they do not indicate
    AAO decision text
  • resume experience · discounted
    She has not explained whether she developed these treatments, the extent to which they have been used by other interested parties
    AAO decision text
  • certification membership · discounted
  • business plan · discounted
    she has not provided sufficient details about the size, location, and staffing of this establishment
    AAO decision text

Where this case turned

  • Business plan speculative · p1projections without a documented basis or steps
  • Endeavor too vague · p1described as a job role, not a defined undertaking
  • Business plan speculative · p2projections without a documented basis or steps
  • Funding absent · p2no documented funding or resources behind the plan
  • Letters conclusory · p2letters praise skills in general terms without tracing specific impact
  • Record of success insufficient · p2a claimed track record the documents do not establish
  • Derivative of Prong 1/2 failure · p3prong three fails only because prongs one or two did — no independent ground
  • Urgency not established · p3no reason shown why the benefit cannot wait for labour certification
  • U.S. worker availability · p3the impracticality of a labour-market test was asserted, not established
1,312coded decisions carry the failure named in this record. A placement shows where your profile sits among them, not what it predicts.See where your profile sits — 90 seconds

Notable

The AAO issued a post-Dhanasar RFE (since the petition was adjudicated under the vacated NYSDOT framework at the service-center level) and summarily dismissed the appeal as abandoned when the Petitioner failed to respond, then addressed the merits in the alternative, finding all three Dhanasar prongs unmet without designating any single prong as independently 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. 103.2(b)(8)

Cases in adjacent profiles