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Every page here cites the rule it relies on, names where that rule lives, and says when it was last checked. If something changed and we have not checked it since, the date tells you.
The final merits determination: the step that denies petitions which met three criteria
Counting to three is the first half of the analysis. The second half asks a question no checklist answers, and it is where strong-looking files fall apart.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
RFEs and denialsWhat an RFE actually says, and why the answer is rarely 'more documents'
A Request for Evidence is not a rejection and not a formality. It names a specific gap, and the most common mistake is answering the volume question instead of the one that was asked.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Cost and timelinesWhat an EB-1A actually costs: the three bills, with numbers
Government fees, the attorney who signs, and case preparation are three separate costs, and only one of them is ours. Current USCIS amounts, checked against the fee schedule.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Evidence and criteriaAuthorship of scholarly articles: having published is the start, not the argument
The sixth EB-1A criterion is the easiest to satisfy on paper and the least persuasive at the second step. What separates a list of papers from evidence of acclaim is what happened after publication.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Evidence and criteriaPublished material about you: the word 'about' is the whole criterion
The third EB-1A criterion asks for material about the person and the person's work. Coverage that quotes you as an expert on someone else's story is the most common near-miss in the whole list.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Evidence and criteriaPrizes and awards: the criterion that does not require a Nobel
The first EB-1A criterion asks for lesser nationally or internationally recognized awards. USCIS says so explicitly — and then tells you exactly what sinks a local one.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 2 min read
Choosing a categoryO-1A or EB-1A: the same evidence, two different standards
They share a vocabulary and almost nothing else. One is temporary and needs an employer; the other is permanent and needs nobody. What changes between them is the standard the same evidence has to meet.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Evidence and criteriaMembership in associations: three things that disqualify it, named by USCIS
The second EB-1A criterion is not about belonging to an impressive organization. It is about how you got in — and the guidance lists exactly what does not count.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 2 min read
Evidence and criteriaLeading or critical role: two separate arguments, and most files make neither
The eighth EB-1A criterion requires proving something about you and something about the organization. USCIS says the title does not decide it — performance in the role does.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Choosing a categoryL-1A and EB-1C: the one pairing where the evidence really does carry over
Almost the same three requirements, read against two different standards. A thinly documented L-1A approval is the most common reason a later EB-1C fails.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 2 min read
Evidence and criteriaJudging the work of others: the criterion people assume they failed
The fourth EB-1A criterion is the most commonly satisfied and the most commonly under-documented. The invitation is not the evidence — the completed review is.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Evidence and criteriaHigh salary: the only EB-1A criterion with a number, and it is a comparison
The ninth criterion asks whether you command high remuneration relative to others in the field. A large salary with nothing to compare it against proves nothing.
Luis Flávio Marques Lima 3 min read
Find out where your record stands
The assessment is free and reads your record against the standard USCIS applies. You get a written answer — including when the answer is that this is not your pathway yet.