This is an AAO appeal decision — a case denied once and appealed. It shows how the framework is applied; it is not the filing population.
The Petitioner, a music therapist, proposed to establish and expand music therapy services and community music programs in the Los Angeles area, including special needs choirs for children and adults with disabilities and trauma therapy groups for veterans and refugees, with aspirations to replicate these models nationally.
Field: music therapy · Read the decision (uscis.gov)
EB-2 threshold — addressed
SCOPS and AAO both agreed the Petitioner qualified as an advanced degree professional based on her foreign master's degree in music therapy and credential evaluation.
Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive
“merely working in an important field or profession is insufficient to establish the national importance of the proposed endeavor.”
“she submits little explanation or evidentiary support as to how her proposed endeavor would impact the special needs community and veterans and refugees on a broader level.”
“one letter asserts that the Petitioner's endeavor 'will have significant impact both locally and beyond' but the author does not provide objective support for his conclusions.”
“the letters are not probative of the Petitioner's eligibility under the first prong of Dhanasar.”
AAO decision text
How the evidence was treated
- degree · credited
- other · discounted
“merely working in an important field or profession is insufficient to establish the national importance of the proposed endeavor.”
AAO decision text - recommendation letter · discounted
“they do not offer persuasive detail concerning the impact of her proposed endeavor or establish how such an impact would extend beyond her clients and students.”
AAO decision text - other · discounted
“the Petitioner has not corroborated her assertion that her participation in these conferences and panels resulted in the dissemination of her methodologies in mental health services that rise to the level of national importance.”
AAO decision text
Where this case turned
- Field importance conflated with endeavor · p1 — argues the field matters, not the specific endeavor
- Letters conclusory · p1 — letters praise skills in general terms without tracing specific impact
- Local, not national scope · p1 — impact confined to clients / a region
Notable
SCOPS had found prong 2 satisfied without analysis (noted in footnote 2); AAO reserved prong 2 and prong 3 without reaching them. The AAO agreed with SCOPS that substantial merit was established but found national importance lacking, making prong 1 partially satisfied and partially failed. The petitioner is a multilingual music therapist (English, Armenian, Russian) serving immigrant and disability communities in Los Angeles.
What this case teaches
Analyst reading of the decision text.
Petitioner failed to show her specific endeavor (not just the music therapy field) had national importance; letters and conference participation lacked evidence of broader impact beyond her direct clients/employers.
Provide objective, endeavor-specific evidence of broader dissemination or replication impact, not just field importance or personal skill testimonials, to satisfy prong-1 national importance.
moderate
public_health · field_advancement · geographic_or_shortage_area
person_focused
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