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Explore visasEB-1ACommon RFE topics

Specific evidence

Lesser national or international awards

Whether an award you received is nationally or internationally recognized for excellence in your field.

What USCIS is questioning

  • Whether you personally received the prize or award, and whether it is nationally or internationally recognized for excellence in your field.[1,2]

The legal standard

  • 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3)(i) accepts documentation of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence in the field of endeavor.[2]
  • The Policy Manual says the award does not need Nobel-level prestige. Relevant factors include the award criteria, its national or international significance, the number of awardees, and limits on competitors. A team award can count if you are one of the recipients.[1,3]

How the request usually reads

  • Interpretation An RFE on this criterion typically says the record does not show that the award is recognized nationally or internationally, or that it was given for excellence in the field, and asks for evidence about the award's criteria, selection process, and recognition.[1,4]

Evidence petitioners often provide

  • Interpretation The certificate or announcement naming you; the awarding body's published criteria and selection process; the number of recipients and the size of the applicant pool; and independent media coverage of the award.[1]

Where responses go wrong

  • An award open only to people in a single employer, school, or locality may have little national recognition, and an award given to your employer is not an award to you.[1]
  • Many scholastic awards lack the required recognition, although some nationally recognized ones may qualify.[1]

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. 1.USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part F, Chapter 2 — Extraordinary AbilityUSCIS · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  2. 2.8 CFR 204.5 - Petitions for employment-based immigrantseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  3. 3.Policy Alert PA-2024-24: Extraordinary Ability Criteria ClarificationUSCIS · USCIS Policy Manual · Published Oct 2, 2024 · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  4. 4.USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 1, Part E, Chapter 6 - EvidenceUSCIS · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Sep 27, 2026