EB-2 NIW AAO Appeal Outcomes
Last updated 2026-09-02
The AAO dismissed 90.4% of 3,473 published EB-2 NIW non-precedent appeals from 2017 to 2025 (sustained: 2.2%, remanded: 7.4%).
Outcome Trend by Year
| Year | Dismissed | Sustained | Remanded | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 190 (93.6%) | 2 | 11 | 203 |
| 2024 | 1514 (93.9%) | 20 | 78 | 1612 |
| 2023 | 807 (89.3%) | 17 | 80 | 904 |
| 2022 | 186 (84.2%) | 5 | 30 | 221 |
| 2021 | 252 (82.9%) | 9 | 43 | 304 |
| 2020 | 56 (84.8%) | 7 | 3 | 66 |
| 2019 | 35 (72.9%) | 4 | 9 | 48 |
| 2018 | 55 (85.9%) | 7 | 2 | 64 |
| 2017 | 45 (88.2%) | 6 | 0 | 51 |
Top Fields
Business & EntrepreneurshipDismissed: 92.5%
EngineeringDismissed: 88.2%
OtherDismissed: 89.0%
Finance & AccountingDismissed: 91.8%
MedicineDismissed: 83.8%
Information TechnologyDismissed: 92.9%
EducationDismissed: 94.5%
LawDismissed: 91.8%
AviationDismissed: 91.7%
Nursing & HealthcareDismissed: 96.9%
Logistics & Supply ChainDismissed: 93.4%
Marketing & SalesDismissed: 96.4%
Physical TherapyDismissed: 93.0%
Software EngineeringDismissed: 93.3%
AthleticsDismissed: 94.9%Criteria Frequency (Dismissed vs. Sustained)
Dismissed Sustained
NYSDOT-era decisions (pre-2017)
Outcomes by Year
| Year | Dismissed | Sustained | Remanded | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 58 (81.7%) | 13 | 0 | 71 |
| 2015 | 59 (80.8%) | 13 | 1 | 73 |
| 2014 | 145 (96.7%) | 3 | 2 | 150 |
| 2013 | 140 (91.5%) | 8 | 5 | 153 |
| 2012 | 104 (95.4%) | 4 | 1 | 109 |
| 2011 | 110 (95.7%) | 4 | 1 | 115 |
| 2010 | 42 (91.3%) | 1 | 3 | 46 |
| 2009 | 61 (78.2%) | 16 | 1 | 78 |
| 2008 | 29 (70.7%) | 9 | 3 | 41 |
| 2007 | 53 (72.6%) | 15 | 5 | 73 |
| 2006 | 39 (72.2%) | 10 | 5 | 54 |
| 2005 | 129 (69.0%) | 30 | 28 | 187 |
| 2004 | 11 (—) | 0 | 4 | 15 |
| 2003 | 7 (—) | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| 2001 | 9 (—) | 4 | 1 | 14 |
Criteria Discussed
| Criterion | In Dismissed | In Sustained | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intrinsic merit (NYSDOT) | 737 | 124 | 861 |
| National in scope (NYSDOT) | 737 | 124 | 861 |
| Substantially greater degree than U.S. worker (NYSDOT) | 675 | 119 | 794 |
| Exceptional ability | 287 | 20 | 307 |
| Advanced degree | 104 | 10 | 114 |
| Procedural/filing | 87 | 0 | 87 |
| Motion to reopen/reconsider | 66 | 0 | 66 |
| Prong 3: On balance, waiver benefits the U.S. | 16 | 6 | 22 |
| Prong 1: Substantial merit and national importance | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Fraud/misrepresentation | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Prong 2: Well positioned to advance the endeavor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Sample: published AAO non-precedent decisions collected from uscis.gov. EB-2 NIW statistics reflect the Dhanasar framework era (2017–2025); the prior NYSDOT framework applied different legal standards. These are appeals, not all USCIS adjudications; approval rates here are not initial-filing approval rates. Read our full methodology.
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