Life Sciences & Biomedical — what the record shows
107 coded decisions · read for the reasons cases fail, not to score you
How cases like this are judged
Of the 102 decisions in this profile that reached the merits, here is where each Dhanasar prong was found not established. 5 more never reached the merits and are not counted below.
Prong 1 — national importancenot established in 20 of 90 (22%)
18 of those were the deciding prong.
Prong 2 — well positionednot established in 45 of 84 (54%)
40 of those were the deciding prong.
Prong 3 — balance of factorsnot established in 8 of 43 (19%)
6 of those were the deciding prong.
Where cases like this most often fail
What this profile cannot afford to skip
- ✓Under Prong 2, USCIS evaluates whether the person is well positioned to advance the endeavor. A record of success in related or similar efforts is a key factor, distinct from general qualifications.
- ✓Citation counts alone are trained to be insufficient. Officers weigh a qualitative account of why the work matters. Show what the citing papers built on yours, not an h-index screenshot.
- ✓Letters must name your specific endeavor and trace how your work shaped later work. Officers are trained that letters praising skills in general terms do not add value as evidence.
The appeal outcomes behind these numbers
Shareable finding
Life Sciences & Biomedical: record of success insufficient in 63% of failures
107 coded decisions, 2016-2026 · record of success insufficient in 43 · denial reversed in 27
Adjacent profiles
107coded decisions sit under this profile. A placement shows where yours would sit among them, not what it predicts.See where your profile sits — 90 seconds →
Statistics from the coded record (2016–2026). Methodology