NIW Bearings
dismissedMAR202025_03B52032025-03-20 · 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, an electrical engineer specializing in process safety, reliability engineering, and sustainable energy in the energy industry, proposed to continue working for a previous employer or to establish his own technical consulting firm.

Field: electrical engineering · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

EB-2 threshold — addressed

Petitioner established eligibility as an advanced degree professional via master's degrees in business administration and engineering; not disputed on appeal.

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

“The Petitioner also claims the Director erred in concluding that his work would only benefit his employer.”
“T-A-, R-C-E-, O-C-I-, and C-M- do not discuss how the Petitioner's work would extend beyond his employer to impact his field more broadly in a manner indicative of national importance.”
“our assessment of national importance does not focus on the importance of a field or societal issues in general, but instead "focuses on the specific endeavor that the foreign national proposes to undertake."”
“The Petitioner cites no evidence to support this claim, and our assessment of national importance does not focus on the importance of a field or societal issues in general”
“The record does not demonstrate, however, that any of these services or accomplishments have or would have national or even global implications in the Petitioner's field.”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

  • recommendation letter · discounted
    “do not discuss how the Petitioner's work would extend beyond his employer to impact his field more broadly”
    AAO decision text
  • other · discounted
    “The Petitioner cites no evidence to support these claims and submits no additional evidence on appeal.”
    AAO decision text

Where this case turned

  • Economic claims unsupported · p1 — job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
  • Employer-specific benefit · p1 — "work furthers my company's product" — value accrues to one firm
  • 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
  • Letters not independent · p1 — letters come from employers and close collaborators, not independent experts
2,501coded 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 →

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
  • Flores v. Garland
  • Matter of L-A-C-

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