How often is the “Original contribution” criterion counted?

Of the 642 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 105 (16%) and rejected it in 537. 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: Science (counted 33 of 123, 27%); Arts (counted 14 of 119, 12%); Other (counted 17 of 117, 15%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

All EB-1A appeals

EB-1A appeals on “Original contribution”: 642 AAO decisions

642 real anonymized AAO decisions on the EB-1A talent visa in which the petitioner relied on the “Original contribution” criterion: AAO counted it in 105 cases and rejected it in 537. These are appeal lessons (mostly denials), not approval odds: a base for seeing which evidence for this criterion is accepted and which is discarded.

642cases argued it

16%counted when argued

21%passed final merits when counted

By field

Field	Counted	Not counted	%
Science	33	90	27%
Arts	14	105	12%
Other	17	100	15%
Engineering	18	49	27%
Business	6	60	9%
Sports	1	56	2%
IT	11	44	20%
Marketing	4	19	17%
Education	0	10	0%
Beauty	1	4	20%

What the decisions show

Counted when the contribution’s impact is shown: adoption, citation, use by others.
Original contribution: impact not shown

Counted (105)

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

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

Not counted (537)

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

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

FAQ

How often is the “Original contribution” criterion counted?: Of the 642 appeals that argued this criterion, AAO counted it in 105 (16%) and rejected it in 537. 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: Science (counted 33 of 123, 27%); Arts (counted 14 of 119, 12%); Other (counted 17 of 117, 15%). The differences reflect the kinds of evidence typically submitted, not how “easy” a field is.

The “Original contribution” criterion: what to prove RFE on “Original contribution”Evidence: citations and h index Community questions: Original contribution What is the US talent visa

Other criteria

Awards Membership Published material about you Judging 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.