How often is the “High remuneration” criterion counted?

Of the 346 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 94 (27%) and rejected it in 252. Even when it was counted, only 10% 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 11 of 80, 14%); Business (counted 19 of 65, 29%); Other (counted 14 of 48, 29%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “High remuneration”: 346 AAO decisions

346 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “High remuneration” criterion: AAO counted it in 94 cases and rejected it in 252. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

346cases argued it

27%counted when argued

10%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Arts	11	69	14%
Business	19	46	29%
Other	14	34	29%
IT	18	18	50%
Science	9	23	28%
Sports	7	21	25%
Engineering	9	14	39%
Marketing	4	17	19%
Beauty	2	6	25%
Education	1	4	20%

What the decisions show

Counted when pay is compared to the professional and regional average, with a cited source.

Counted (94)

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

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

Not counted (252)

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

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

FAQ

How often is the “High remuneration” criterion counted?: Of the 346 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 94 (27%) and rejected it in 252. Even when it was counted, only 10% 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 11 of 80, 14%); Business (counted 19 of 65, 29%); Other (counted 14 of 48, 29%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

The “High remuneration” criterion: what to prove RFE on “High remuneration”Community questions: High remuneration What is the US talent visa

Other criteria

Awards Membership Published material about you Judging Original contribution Scholarly authorship Exhibitions Leading role 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.