EB-1A Appeals: Culinary Arts
Last updated 2026-09-02
The AAO dismissed 92.5% of EB-1A appeals from Culinary Arts petitioners in published non-precedent decisions from 2005–2024 (n=53). The criterion most often at issue was Prizes or awards.
Outcomes by Year
| Year | Dismissed | Sustained | Remanded | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 (—) | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 (—) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 (—) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 (—) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | 4 (—) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 (—) | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 (—) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 (—) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 (—) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 (—) | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 (—) | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 | 4 (—) | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2007 | 1 (—) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 (—) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | 11 (—) | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Criteria Breakdown
| Criterion | In Dismissed | In Sustained | Total | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prizes or awards | 36 | 1 | 39 | 92.3% |
| Published material about the alien | 23 | 0 | 24 | 95.8% |
| Membership in associations | 22 | 0 | 22 | 100.0% |
| High salary or remuneration | 13 | 0 | 15 | — |
| Judging | 14 | 0 | 14 | — |
| Leading or critical role | 12 | 0 | 14 | — |
| Artistic exhibitions or showcases | 11 | 0 | 11 | — |
| Original contributions of major significance | 9 | 0 | 10 | — |
Example Decisions
Sustained2010-08-04The appeal was sustained because the AAO, upon de novo review, found that the petitioner met the statutory and regulator
DismissedThe appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish sustained national or international acclaim. The pet
DismissedThe appeal was dismissed because the petitioner, a restaurant, filed for an alien of extraordinary ability (EB-1A) but f
Dismissed2006-11-08The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to meet the evidentiary requirements for the claimed criteria. Th
Dismissed2007-07-17The appeal was dismissed because a prior nonimmigrant visa approval under a lesser standard does not mandate approval fo
DismissedThe appeal was dismissed because the petitioner filed under the extraordinary ability (EB-1A) category but later argued
Dismissed cases most often lacked that the awards were nationally or internationally recognized (not merely regional or local); sustained national or international acclaim in the final merits determination; independent corroboration (evidence was self-serving or lacked third-party support).
Sample: published AAO non-precedent decisions collected from uscis.gov, 2005–2024. These are appeals, not all USCIS adjudications; approval rates here are not initial-filing approval rates. Read our full methodology.
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