Date of Decision: August 22, 2024
Service Center: Nebraska Service Center
Form Type: Form I-140
Case Type: EB-1 Extraordinary Ability
Petitioner Information
Profession: Economist
Field: Health Economics and Development Economics
Nationality: Not specified in the document
Summary of Decision
Initial Decision: Denied
Appeal Outcome: Dismissed
Evidentiary Criteria Analysis
The petitioner met three regulatory criteria but failed to demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or recognition at the very top of the field.
Criteria Met:
- Authorship of Scholarly Articles:
- The petitioner authored several scholarly articles in health and development economics, which were cited in academic journals.
- Participation as a Judge of the Work of Others:
- The petitioner served as a peer reviewer for manuscripts submitted to several journals and as a member of thesis examination panels.
- Performance in a Leading or Critical Role for Organizations With a Distinguished Reputation:
- The petitioner served as acting head of the Department of Economics at a Nigerian university ranked as the highest in the country by The Times Higher Education.
Key Points from the Decision
Authorship and Citation Metrics:
- The petitioner submitted a list of articles and citation metrics. However, inconsistencies in the documentation and lack of contextual evidence regarding the significance of the citations limited their probative value.
Judging Activities:
- Evidence demonstrated participation as a peer reviewer and thesis panel member. However, the AAO noted that these roles did not establish the level of recognition required for extraordinary ability.
Leadership Role:
- While the petitioner’s leadership role in the Department of Economics was acknowledged, there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate the department’s distinguished reputation within the global field of economics.
Final Merits Determination:
- The AAO concluded that while the petitioner met the initial evidentiary threshold, the totality of the evidence did not demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or recognition as one of the small percentage at the very top of her field.
Supporting Documentation
Authorship Evidence: Scholarly articles with citation metrics, inconsistently documented.
Judging Evidence: Records of peer review and thesis panel participation.
Leadership Evidence: Documentation of leadership roles at a distinguished Nigerian university.
Conclusion
Final Determination: The appeal was dismissed.
Reasoning:
The petitioner met three regulatory criteria under 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(h)(3). However, the record failed to demonstrate sustained national or international acclaim or recognition at the very top of the field of health and development economics.
