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 planned to work as a project manager for his own company, providing asset and property management consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses in Florida, aiming to improve their operational efficiency and profitability.
Field: asset and project management consulting · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive
“they do not establish that the Company's services have a potential prospective impact beyond the individual businesses to which he will provide services”
“his assertions with respect to the shortage of project management professionals in the United States, like him, does not render his proposed endeavor nationally important”
“his business plan does not sufficiently detail the basis for the revenue and staffing projections, nor does it adequately explain how the revenue and staffing projections will be realized”
“the relevant question is not the importance of the field, industry, or profession in which the individual will work”
“these letters speak to the Petitioner's ability to assist these clients, they do not establish the national importance of his endeavor”
“this letter provides vague details regarding the nature of their engagement with the Petitioner”
AAO decision text
How the evidence was treated
- business plan · discounted
“his business plan does not sufficiently detail the basis for the revenue and staffing projections”
AAO decision text - recommendation letter · discounted
“the opinion is of limited probative value”
AAO decision text - contract revenue · discounted
“they do not establish the national importance of his endeavor”
AAO decision text - media · discounted
“they do not specifically discuss the Petitioner's proposed endeavor or explain how his endeavor would have broader implications”
AAO decision text
Where this case turned
- Business plan speculative · p1 — projections without a documented basis or steps
- 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
- Letters conclusory · p1 — letters praise skills in general terms without tracing specific impact
- Local, not national scope · p1 — impact confined to clients / a region
- Occupational shortage argument rejected · p1 — argues a labor shortage — the labor-certification question, not Dhanasar
Notable
AAO cites an unpublished district court decision (Onyenanu v. Garland) for the proposition that appellants must support allegations with 'factual specificity,' an unusual citation for an AAO decision. The AAO also expressly reserved both the threshold EB-2 classification issue and prongs 2 and 3, resolving the appeal solely on prong 1 national importance.
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
- 8 C.F.R. 204.5(k)(2)
- Flores v. Garland
- Matter of L-A-C-
- USCIS Policy Manual F.5(D)(1)
What this case teaches
Analyst reading of the decision text.
Petitioner failed to show the endeavor's impact extended beyond his individual clients/company to the broader field or U.S. economy; projections were unsupported and expert letter merely restated petitioner's claims without independent evidence.
Support economic/job-creation projections with objective, verifiable data and explain concretely how the endeavor's benefits extend beyond individual clients to the broader field or national economy.
moderate
economic_job_creation · economic_growth_generic · us_competitiveness · government_interest · field_advancement
person_focused
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