How often is the “Exhibitions” criterion counted?

Of the 226 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 149 (66%) and rejected it in 77. Even when it was counted, only 6% of those cases passed the final-merits determination. This is an appeal sample skewed toward denials: the numbers show how AAO assesses the criterion, not visa approval odds.

In which fields is it counted more often?

Most cases arguing this criterion come from: Arts (counted 130 of 160, 81%); Other (counted 9 of 22, 41%); Sports (counted 1 of 12, 8%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “Exhibitions”: 226 AAO decisions

226 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “Exhibitions” criterion: AAO counted it in 149 cases and rejected it in 77. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

226cases argued it

66%counted when argued

6%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Arts	130	30	81%
Other	9	13	41%
Sports	1	11	8%
Marketing	2	8	20%
Beauty	6	3	67%
Engineering	0	5	0%
Business	0	3	0%
Science	0	3	0%
IT	1	1	50%

What the decisions show

Counts showing work at artistic exhibitions, with venue, dates and proof of participation.

Counted (149)

Newest first. A counted criterion does not mean approval - check the case outcome.

89 more cases are not listed here - all of them are reachable through the field archives.

Not counted (77)

Newest first. The most useful part of the archive: exactly why AAO discarded the evidence.

17 more cases are not listed here - all of them are reachable through the field archives.

FAQ

How often is the “Exhibitions” criterion counted?: Of the 226 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 149 (66%) and rejected it in 77. Even when it was counted, only 6% of those cases passed the final-merits determination. This is an appeal sample skewed toward denials: the numbers show how AAO assesses the criterion, not visa approval odds.
In which fields is it counted more often?: Most cases arguing this criterion come from: Arts (counted 130 of 160, 81%); Other (counted 9 of 22, 41%); Sports (counted 1 of 12, 8%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

The “Exhibitions” criterion: what to prove RFE on “Exhibitions”What is the US talent visa

Other criteria

Awards Membership Published material about you Judging Original contribution Scholarly authorship Leading role High remuneration Commercial success Comparable evidence

Decisions by field

Based on: 1,242 AAO EB-1A appeal decisions · issued Jan 2020 - Feb 2025 · USCIS: AAO non-precedent decisions · all decisions

Sources

Public anonymized AAO decisions. Reference information, not legal advice; the appeal sample skews toward denials and does not reflect approval odds.