dismissedMAY142025_05B52032025-05-14 · appeal
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 sought to establish his own consulting business providing operational efficiency consulting, compliance audits, and sustainability solutions to U.S. refineries, oil and gas companies, and small/mid-sized enterprises.
Field: industrial production management consulting · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive
“the assessment of national importance is not focused on the importance of a field in general, but rather "focuses on the specific endeavor that the foreign national proposes to undertake."”
“the Petitioner has not demonstrated the wider impact of his particular endeavor beyond D and its clients”
“the record does not contain sufficient supporting evidence for the submitted employment figures nor substantiate how these figures would have national level impact”
“any basic economic activity resulting from the Petitioner's endeavor has the potential to positively impact a local economy”
AAO decision text
How the evidence was treated
- business plan · discounted
“the Petitioner has not demonstrated the wider impact of his particular endeavor beyond D and its clients”
AAO decision text - recommendation letter · discounted
- other · discounted
“We do not dispute the importance of the energy and industrial sectors in the United States.”
AAO decision text
Where this case turned
- Economic claims unsupported · p1 — job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
- Field importance conflated with endeavor · p1 — argues the field matters, not the specific endeavor
- Local, not national scope · p1 — impact confined to clients / a region
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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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