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The 8 O-1A Criteria: Why You Need 3
An O-1A petition needs evidence of either a major internationally recognized award, such as the Nobel Prize, or at least 3 of the 8 evidentiary criteria. Meeting 3 criteria is the first step; USCIS then weighs all the evidence together.
Last reviewed against the USCIS Policy Manual on
One major award, or 3 of 8
“The supporting documentation for an O-1A petition must include evidence that the beneficiary has received a major internationally recognized award (such as the Nobel Prize) or satisfies at least three of the following evidentiary criteria:”
| # | Criterion |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards |
| 2 | Membership in associations that require outstanding achievements |
| 3 | Published material about you |
| 4 | Judging the work of others |
| 5 | Original contributions of major significance |
| 6 | Authorship of scholarly articles |
| 7 | Critical or essential role for distinguished organizations |
| 8 | High salary or remuneration |
Details that work in your favour
“This criterion does not require an award or prize to have the same level of recognition and prestige associated with the Nobel Prize or another award that would qualify as a one-time achievement, nor does it require an award or prize to be received at an advanced stage of the beneficiary’s career.”
“In order to meet this criterion, the beneficiary must be a listed author of the submitted article or articles but need not be the sole or first author. A petitioner need not provide evidence that the beneficiary’s published work has been cited to meet this criterion.”
“Officers should evaluate persons working outside of the United States based on the wage statistics or comparable evidence for that locality, rather than by simply converting the salary to U.S. dollars and then viewing whether that salary would be considered high in the United States.”
Details that work against you
“Relevant factors that may lead an officer to a conclusion that the person's membership in one or more associations was not based on outstanding achievements in the field include, but are not limited to, instances where the person's membership was based:”
“On the payment of a fee or by subscribing to an association's publications …”
Frequently asked questions
- How many O-1A criteria do I need?
- At least 3 of the 8, unless you have a major internationally recognized award such as the Nobel Prize.
- Do I need to be first author for the scholarly articles criterion?
- No. The Policy Manual says the beneficiary must be a listed author but need not be the sole or first author, and the work does not need to have been cited.
- Does a paid membership count for the membership criterion?
- The Policy Manual lists membership based on paying a fee or subscribing to publications as a factor that may show it was not based on outstanding achievements.
- How is a salary earned outside the U.S. judged?
- Against wage statistics or comparable evidence for that locality, not by converting it to U.S. dollars.
Related
Quotes are word for word from the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M. Practitioner tips are common practice, not USCIS rules. For informational purposes only, not legal advice.