How often is the “Published material about you” criterion counted?

Of the 793 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 286 (36%) and rejected it in 507. Even when it was counted, only 11% 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 90 of 242, 37%); Other (counted 43 of 126, 34%); Sports (counted 30 of 102, 29%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “Published material about you”: 793 AAO decisions

793 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “Published material about you” criterion: AAO counted it in 286 cases and rejected it in 507. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

793cases argued it

36%counted when argued

11%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Arts	90	152	37%
Other	43	83	34%
Sports	30	72	29%
Science	35	54	39%
Business	35	50	41%
Engineering	22	26	46%
IT	17	28	38%
Marketing	10	22	31%
Beauty	2	12	14%
Education	2	8	20%

What the decisions show

Counts coverage specifically ABOUT YOU in independent major or trade outlets, with publication details.
Outlet not shown to be major media
Published material not ABOUT the person

Counted (286)

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

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

Not counted (507)

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

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

FAQ

How often is the “Published material about you” criterion counted?: Of the 793 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 286 (36%) and rejected it in 507. Even when it was counted, only 11% 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 90 of 242, 37%); Other (counted 43 of 126, 34%); Sports (counted 30 of 102, 29%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

The “Published material about you” criterion: what to prove RFE on “Published material about you”Evidence: media coverage Community questions: Published material about you What is the US talent visa

Other criteria

Awards Membership Judging Original contribution Scholarly authorship Exhibitions 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.