Examples of O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW Petitions from Open Sources

Petition examples are not meant for copying someone else's wording, but to show the structure: what a petition package includes, the order of arguments, and how evidence ties to each criterion. Next, we'll cover where to find O-1, EB-1A, and EB-2 NIW petition examples, what to look for first, and why simply copying another petition's structure is a quick way to get a request for additional evidence.

What someone else's petition can and cannot show

A published case answers questions of format, not substance.

Shows:

• the physical structure of the package: cover letter, table of contents, exhibits, exhibit numbering
• how the author linked specific documents to particular criteria
• what volume of evidence is realistically considered sufficient
• how recommendation letters are formatted and how the writer's expertise is described in them

Does not show:

• why this particular case was approved: the officer's reasoning in public petitions is almost never disclosed
• what the officer saw as weak but let pass
• how the same logic would be evaluated today if the petition is several years old

This is why experienced applicants review not just one petition, but pieces of many, along with RFEs related to them:

I'm also reviewing different petitions or fragments in my field and related areas before filing, and RFEs. It helps improve things.

Searching for examples specific to your profession is a common request in the community:

Links to petition examples in supply chain where you can see how to describe conferences, articles, associations, and more.

Where to find petition examples

Community resources library

The main source of examples on our site is the materials library. It contains 367 documents collected from chat archives and anonymized: applicants' names and personal data have been removed, so you can focus on structure rather than someone else's personal story.

Here's what's in each section:

The size of petitions varies significantly: from a 9-page I-140 example to a complete 199-page package, and a 200-page approved EB-2 NIW petition that went through without an RFE. There's also a separate one-page document, often more helpful than many approvals-the consulate's letter on returning a petition to USCIS.

Public reviews published by the authors themselves

Several people have published their petitions on their own sites and allowed us to share the links. These materials have been discussed in the community for over ten years and remain the most accessible full examples in both Russian and English:

• Andrey Solovyev - chemist, independently prepared and obtained EB-1A; published both the petition and a detailed process analysis. One of the first public examples of this kind, case from 2012.
• Razvan Marinescu - page with materials about self-filing I-140 for a researcher: how publications, citations, and metrics are described.

Seven published petitions: what they actually show

Besides the two named pages above, five more self-published petitions and write-ups circulate in the community; together that is seven cases from 2012-2024. We summarise them anonymously - profession, category, year, outcome - because the publications hold less substance than they seem to: five of the seven pages are links to documents, not analyses.

What carries over from these seven cases:

• Five credited criteria do not prevent a NOID. The designer claimed nine criteria, the officer credited five - and still issued a notice of intent to deny: the dispute was not about criteria but about the final merits. The clearest illustration of the second step.
• Letters are split by task, not by acquaintance. The same case had nine letters: independent experts on the contribution, standing at the top of the field and benefit to the US; managers and colleagues only on the critical role.
• Citations are shown in percentiles, not raw counts. The physicist compared his papers with the median for his field in the same year (one paper: 55 citations against an average of 14) and showed a place in the top 10-20% of that year's publications; absolute numbers tell an officer nothing.
• An NIW endeavor is named as a national task, not a job title. "Launching electric vehicles in the US market", not "sales manager".
• The structure is assembled from others' petitions, not a lawyer's template. The architect describes the method directly: dissect several published packets and build your own evidentiary logic.

What these publications lack: the exhibit lists and numbering, the NOID grounds and the rebuttal text (they sit only in the documents themselves), service centers. Two of the seven files are not filed petitions but a study copy and a template. And mind the year: the rules on team awards and past memberships changed in October 2024, and NIW review tightened in 2025 - a structure from 2012 or 2020 carries over, the wording does not.

What to look for in a petition example

Reviewing another person's package is most useful with a checklist. Otherwise, reading turns into aimless flipping through 200 pages.

Why copying someone else's petition format might not work

A major hidden risk is using a structure that does not fit your officer. A narrative petition written like a scientific article is hard to read, and this affects your result:

the officer decided not to bother, skimmed through just a few exhibits

The alternative, which people in the community turn to after a document request, is short blocks strictly matching the requirements, with each section immediately linking to a specific exhibit.

The second factor is timing. Public petition examples from 2012-2013 appeared before the current two-step evaluation process, where criteria formally met are reviewed again for the overall significance of achievements. The importance is clear from appeal data.

What actual AAO decisions show

We analyzed 1,242 AAO appeal decisions on EB-1A. Outcome distribution: 33 approved, 991 denied, 218 remanded. At the final stage, achievements were found sufficient in 33 cases, insufficient in 699, and in 510 cases, the process never reached this stage.

Percentage of accepted criteria among cases where the criterion was even claimed:

One practical takeaway for reading examples: look at how the author met weak criteria - original contribution, awards, membership. Strong criteria are typically met in a similar way by almost everyone, and there is nothing to copy there.

What not to do

• Do not copy wording, paragraphs, or letters verbatim. It is noticeable and undermines your case.
• Do not try to fit your profile to match someone else's: your evidence must reflect your real achievements.
• Do not reuse the procedural section: the fee amounts, payment methods, and form versions in old examples are now outdated.
• Do not assume that approval of someone else's petition guarantees approval of yours.
• Do not treat one author's structure as the only correct one: look at least three different packages.
• Do not leave any traces of someone else's template in your documents - other company names, date formatting, or chunks of text in another language.

Preparing your own petition using examples: how realistic is it?

People who have studied other cases and then wrote their own frequently report that it is doable:

I wrote the petition myself, it turned out to be very simple.

Go for EB1. I also have a biotech company in the field of early breast cancer diagnostics, wrote and filed everything myself, got approved right away.

This is the experience of individual people, not statistics. The appeal data above show that the share of unsuccessful cases is significant. The reasonable way to use examples is to look for gaps in your own materials, not for guarantees.

Key points

1. Petition examples show how to answer form requirements: structure, exhibit numbering, linking evidence to criteria.
2. The main source of anonymized examples is the site library: 367 materials, 14 of them in the petitions section, including full 199-200 page packages.
3. We only keep public examples with real names where the author has made their petition part of their public profile.
4. You cannot copy procedural sections of other petitions: fees, forms, and payment methods become outdated fastest.
5. Analysis of 1242 AAO decisions shows where someone else's example helps most: criteria with a low approval rate, such as original contributions, awards, membership.
6. Review at least three different case packages. Otherwise, you may take one author's individual solution as a general rule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Materials

Related materials - Prepare and file

• What Makes Up an O-1, EB-1, and EB-2 NIW Petition
• Self-check for an O-1 or EB-1A petition: the RFE checklist
• O-1 Petitioners and Employers: Who Can File?
• O-1 Agent Petition: What It Is and Who Needs It
• Letters of Intent and Documents for the O-1 Agent Model
• Filing an O-1/EB-1/EB-2 petition inside the U.S. or abroad
• Attorney for US O-1/EB-1/EB-2 NIW talent visa: needed?
• Services and contractors for O-1, EB-1 and NIW petitions
• Talent Visa Services Marketplace
• How to Check an Attorney's License Through the State Bar
• US O1/EB1/EB2 talent visa: attorney agreement
• Printing and mailing an O-1/EB-1/EB-2 NIW petition
• Signatures on USCIS forms from 10 July 2026: what is valid
• Paying USCIS fees: checks, cards, and common mistakes
• What goes into the evidence packet
• What the whole path costs

All articles in «Prepare and file»

Next stepEB-2 NIW check (Dhanasar test)Check your EB-2 NIW against the Dhanasar test: three prongs in plain language, with what to strengthen.

From community discussions

• «And revenue across all states is also not national importance, just like jobs. For some reason everyone thinks that creating 10-20-50 jobs is national importance. It's not. Your project should affect job creation or employment in general, for example, your project helps job seekers find work and reduces unemployment.»

  community member · from public community chats

• «A month ago we got approval for cloud architecture. There were no publications at all. Only talks at international and national conferences. These talks were covered by news portals.»

  community member · from public community chats

• «Then immediately write a request to expedite with a one-page letter. The request should come from the inviting organization, to the Department of State, on why your talk and presence in person are so extremely important. And it's good if they say that a hybrid format is impossible. Additionally you can make a request through a senator/state representative.»

  Olga · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

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