NIW Bearings
remandedMAY152026_01B52032026-05-15 · 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, a software development engineer, proposed to advance U.S.-led innovation in open, interpretable, agent-enabled AI by building infrastructure connecting large language models to real-world, goal-oriented tasks, including work on the CAMEL and Loong frameworks and an integrated AI agent toolkit.

Field: software engineering / artificial intelligence · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

EB-2 threshold — addressed

SCOPS found the Petitioner qualifies for the underlying EB-2 classification as an advanced degree professional, and this finding was not disturbed.

Prong 1 — national importanceestablished

Prong 2 — well positionedestablished

Prong 3 — balance of factorsestablished

How the evidence was treated

  • other · ignored
    as the record stands, we are unable to meaningfully review the evidence
    AAO decision text

This record is one of thousands, each coded for the reasons it turned. A placement shows where your profile sits in that record, not what it predicts. See where your profile sits — 90 seconds

Notable

The AAO did not reach the merits of any Dhanasar prong; it withdrew SCOPS' denial and remanded solely because numerous exhibits in the record were wholly or partially illegible, making meaningful review impossible. The AAO expressly stated it 'express[ed] no opinion as to the ultimate resolution of this case' and instead provided guidance to SCOPS on how to analyze each prong on remand after the Petitioner resubmits legible exhibits.

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
  • INA 203(b)(2)

What this case teaches

Analyst reading of the decision text.

Decisive factor

Remand driven purely by procedural defect: numerous exhibits cited in petitioner's briefs were wholly or partially illegible, preventing meaningful appellate review of any prong.

Transferable lesson

Always submit clear, legible copies of all evidentiary exhibits; illegibility alone can void appellate merits review regardless of substantive argument quality.

Endeavor framing

specific

National-importance theory

critical_emerging_tech · field_advancement · us_competitiveness

Evidence targeting

mixed

Cases in adjacent profiles