USCIS clarifies guidance for O-1 petitions with a STEM focus

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has provided clarification on what evidence can be used to support O-1A petitions with a focus in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Key Points:

• USCIS clarified that being named on a competitive government grant for STEM research can be a positive factor for showing that a beneficiary is at the top of his or her field.
• Being named on a competitive government grant for STEM research has been added to the list of examples beneficiaries can use to prove their extraordinary ability in the STEM fields.
• A full list of evidence that can be used to prove extraordinary ability is available in the USCIS Policy Manual.

Additional Information: O-1 nonimmigrant status is generally available to those with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, business, education and athletics, as well as for those with extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry. More information on O-1 petitions is available here.

This alert has been provided by BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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