How often is the “Leading role” criterion counted?

Of the 624 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 256 (41%) and rejected it in 368. Even when it was counted, only 9% 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 45 of 161, 28%); Other (counted 50 of 117, 43%); Business (counted 57 of 91, 63%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “Leading role”: 624 AAO decisions

624 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “Leading role” criterion: AAO counted it in 256 cases and rejected it in 368. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

624cases argued it

41%counted when argued

9%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Arts	45	116	28%
Other	50	67	43%
Business	57	34	63%
Sports	21	47	31%
Science	19	35	35%
Engineering	24	21	53%
IT	22	19	54%
Marketing	15	15	50%
Education	3	6	33%
Beauty	0	8	0%

What the decisions show

Counted when the organization is known and the role is leading or key, per the org chart and letters.

Counted (256)

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

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

Not counted (368)

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

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

FAQ

How often is the “Leading role” criterion counted?: Of the 624 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 256 (41%) and rejected it in 368. Even when it was counted, only 9% 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 45 of 161, 28%); Other (counted 50 of 117, 43%); Business (counted 57 of 91, 63%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

The “Leading role” criterion: what to prove RFE on “Leading role”Evidence: expert recommendation letters What is the US talent visa

Other criteria

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