EB-1A · Approval statistics
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability
Official USCIS statistics
OfficialDecision approval rate · FY2026 Q3
32.2%
Approved 1,348 · Denied 2,832
▼ 34.3 pts vs. same period a year earlier (FY2025 Q3: 66.5%)
Approved ÷ (approved + denied) in the same period. Pending cases are not counted. Decisions in a quarter can come from petitions filed earlier, so this is the share of decisions that were approvals — not the chance that a petition filed today will be approved.
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2022, 4th Quarter, Jul. 1 - Sep. 30, 2022) · Published Dec 16, 2022 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2023, Quarter 4) · Published Jan 11, 2024 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2024, Quarter 4) · Published Dec 16, 2024 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2025, Quarter 4) · Published Mar 24, 2026 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
EB-1A by fiscal year (official)
Official| Period | Received | Approved | Denied | Decision approval rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 29,582 | 12,468 | 6,165 | 66.9% |
| FY2024 | 20,166 | 12,231 | 4,703 | 72.2% |
| FY2023 | 15,905 | 10,356 | 4,156 | 71.4% |
| FY2022 | 10,481 | 5,623 | 1,608 | 77.8% |
| FY2021 | — | 5,330 | — | — |
| FY2020 | — | 3,430 | — | — |
| FY2019 | — | 4,876 | — | — |
| FY2018 | — | 7,362 | — | — |
| FY2017 | — | 8,341 | — | — |
Source: Form I-140 Approvals by Preference and Country (Fiscal Year 2022, Quarters 1 and 2) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2022, 4th Quarter, Jul. 1 - Sep. 30, 2022) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2023, Quarter 4) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Source: Form I-140 by Fiscal Year, Quarter and Case Status (Fiscal Year 2024, Quarter 4) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Recent AAO decisions
OfficialAAO decisions only include cases that were denied and then appealed. They show why some petitions fail — they are not an approval rate.
What the AAO did (this sample of 150, May 28, 2026 – Aug 31, 2026): Appeal dismissed 82% · Appeal sustained 0% · Remanded 18%“Remanded” means sent back to the service center for a new decision — not an approval.
- Aug 31, 2026Remanded
- Aug 31, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 27, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 27, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 27, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 26, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 26, 2026Appeal dismissed
- Aug 25, 2026Appeal dismissed
Source: USCIS AAO non-precedent decisions · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Common RFE reasons
USCIS does not publish statistics on RFE reasons. These topics follow the issues an officer has to resolve under the regulation and the Policy Manual.
Interpretation EB-1A RFEs generally follow the two-step review: whether a claimed criterion is actually met (for example, whether an award is nationally recognized or a role was truly critical), and whether the record as a whole shows sustained acclaim at the top of the field.[1,2]
An RFE has to identify the requirement that is not yet established, explain why the evidence falls short, and give examples of other evidence that could help.[2]
For EB-1A, the Policy Manual tells officers to explain the deficiencies and, where possible, give examples of persuasive evidence, rather than only restating the requirements.[1]
Specific evidence
- Lesser national or international awardsWhether an award you received is nationally or internationally recognized for excellence in your field.
- Membership requiring outstanding achievementWhether an association admits members based on outstanding achievements judged by recognized experts.
- Published material about youWhether articles or coverage are about you and your work and appeared in qualifying media.
- Judging the work of othersWhether you actually served as a judge of others' work in your field or an allied field.
- Original contributions of major significanceWhether your original work has had major significance in your field.
- Authorship of scholarly articlesWhether you have authored scholarly articles in qualifying publications, and what their caliber shows.
- Artistic exhibitions or showcasesWhether your own work was displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases.
- Leading or critical roleWhether your role was leading or critical for an organization, or a division of one, with a distinguished reputation.
- High salary or remunerationWhether your pay is high compared with others in your field, using reliable comparison data.
- Commercial success in the performing artsWhether sales or box office results show commercial success compared with others in the performing arts.
- Comparable evidenceWhether a criterion truly does not readily apply to your occupation, and whether the substitute evidence is truly comparable.
Eligibility criteria
- Final merits determinationWhether the record as a whole shows sustained acclaim and a place among the small percentage at the very top of your field.
- Sustained acclaimWhether your national or international acclaim has been maintained over time.
- Continuing work in your fieldWhether you will keep working in your area of extraordinary ability in the United States.
This information is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship and does not predict the outcome of any individual case.
Sources
- 1.USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2 — Extraordinary AbilityUSCIS · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 2.USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part E, Chapter 6 - EvidenceUSCIS · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026