How often is the “Membership” criterion counted?

Of the 496 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 58 (12%) and rejected it in 438. Even when it was counted, only 21% 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 15 of 126, 12%); Sports (counted 18 of 94, 19%); Other (counted 7 of 92, 8%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “Membership”: 496 AAO decisions

496 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “Membership” criterion: AAO counted it in 58 cases and rejected it in 438. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

496cases argued it

12%counted when argued

21%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Arts	15	111	12%
Sports	18	76	19%
Other	7	85	8%
Business	6	47	11%
Science	5	40	11%
Engineering	5	29	15%
IT	1	22	4%
Marketing	1	18	5%
Beauty	0	5	0%
Education	0	5	0%

What the decisions show

Counted when membership requires outstanding achievement judged by experts, not just a fee.
Membership does not require outstanding achievement

Counted (58)

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

Not counted (438)

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

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

FAQ

How often is the “Membership” criterion counted?: Of the 496 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 58 (12%) and rejected it in 438. Even when it was counted, only 21% 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 15 of 126, 12%); Sports (counted 18 of 94, 19%); Other (counted 7 of 92, 8%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

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

Other criteria

Awards Published material about you 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.