Eb1a Petition Narrative

The criteria knowledge is the same as O-1A. The difference is how strictly it's applied and the additional requirements below.

How EB-1A Differs from O-1A

The Three Things That Make EB-1A Harder

1. "Sustained" acclaim

USCIS will check whether the acclaim is SUSTAINED — not a one-time achievement. They look for:

• Achievements spanning multiple years (not all from one year)
• Ongoing recognition (not just past accomplishments)
• Current activity in the field (not someone who was once notable but is now inactive)

How to address: Build a timeline showing continuous achievement. If there's a gap, explain it (e.g., transitioning between roles, founding a new company).

2. "Will continue to work in the field"

USCIS may RFE on this even if all criteria are met. Required evidence:

• Employment contract or offer letter
• Statement from the beneficiary detailing future work plans
• Evidence of ongoing projects, grants, or commitments

3. "Will substantially benefit the United States"

Must show the beneficiary's entry benefits the U.S. prospectively. Evidence:

• Letters from employers/industry leaders explaining the benefit
• Evidence the work is advantageous on a national level
• Evidence of U.S.-based projects, partnerships, or commitments

How This Skill Works

Same 5 phases as o1-petition-narrative:

1. Case Setup — Gather petition details and document index
2. Exhibit Table — Map documents to exhibits by criterion
3. Evidence Enrichment — Research entities, build source registry
4. Criterion Arguments — Draft each criterion with sourced facts
5. Assembly — Produce consolidated petition package

Requires the document index from document-summary-arrangement. case-strength-assessor (optional) may be run first for a pre-draft strength report; use it to prioritize criteria and flag gaps, not as a substitute for attorney judgment.

Phase 1: Case Setup

Required information

1. Petitioner — company/organization filing, OR self-petition (beneficiary can self-petition for EB-1A)
2. Beneficiary — full legal name, alternate names, nationality
3. Field of endeavor — specific field label used throughout the letter
4. Proposed U.S. work — what the beneficiary will do in the U.S. (required for "continue to work" element)
5. Which criteria are being argued — must meet at least 3 of 10
6. Document index location — from document-summary-arrangement

Criteria checklist (EB-1A — 10 criteria)

Phase 2–3: Exhibit Table & Evidence Enrichment

Same process as o1-petition-narrative. Follow the instructions in that skill for exhibit mapping and evidence enrichment.

Phase 4: Criterion Arguments

Follow the same argument pattern as o1-petition-narrative (header → narrative paragraph → exhibit citations), with these EB-1A-specific adjustments:

Stricter argument standard

• Every criterion argument must be STRONGER than what would pass for O-1A
• Independent documentary evidence is essential — letters alone are explicitly treated as advisory opinions and can be given less weight if uncorroborated
• Quantify everything — adjudicators are more skeptical of qualitative claims in EB-1A

Additional criteria

Criterion 7 (EB-1A only): Display of Work at Exhibitions or Showcases

This criterion is for ARTISTIC exhibitions or showcases — NOT pitch events or investor demos.

USCIS has rejected startup demo days (e.g., accelerator "Demo Day" pitch events) under this criterion, stating: "the evidence does not establish that such an event is an artistic exhibition or showcase" and "pitching a startup to potential investors" does not qualify.

For legitimate exhibitions (artists, architects, designers, photographers):

• Evidence the venue is an artistic exhibition or showcase (gallery, museum, design show, film festival)
• Materials used to promote and publicize the exhibition
• Evidence the work displayed was primarily created by the beneficiary
• Sales records listing the beneficiary as the creator
• Reviews or press coverage of the exhibition
• Attendance figures and venue reputation

Criterion 10 (EB-1A only): Commercial Successes in Performing Arts

For musicians, actors, filmmakers, game designers:

• Box office receipts, album sales, streaming numbers
• Billboard/chart rankings
• Download/streaming counts with platform data
• Revenue figures with source
• Critical reception (reviews in major publications)

The Totality / Step 2 Argument (CRITICAL for EB-1A)

After all criteria arguments, include a dedicated Step 2 section. This is where most EB-1A denials happen.

## SUSTAINED NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

[2-3 paragraphs synthesizing ALL evidence into a narrative showing:]
1. Timeline of sustained achievement (not one-time)
2. Breadth of recognition (multiple independent sources, international scope)
3. Level of acclaim (top of the field, not merely successful)
4. Ongoing activity and future trajectory

Structure:

• Timeline: "From [year] to present, the Beneficiary has [achievements spanning X years]..."
• Breadth: "Recognition has come from [VC firms], [media outlets], [award organizations], [academic institutions], and [professional peers] across [N] countries..."
• Level: "These achievements place the Beneficiary among the small percentage who have risen to the very top of the field of [Field]..."
• Continuity: "The Beneficiary continues to advance the field through [current work, ongoing projects, future plans]..."

"Will Continue to Work" Section

After the totality argument, add:

## INTENT TO CONTINUE WORK IN THE FIELD

The Beneficiary intends to continue working in the field of [Field] in the
United States. [Describe current role, ongoing projects, employment commitment].
[Evidence: offer letter, employment contract, project documentation].

"Will Substantially Benefit the United States" Section

## SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO THE UNITED STATES

The Beneficiary's continued work in the United States will substantially
benefit the nation by [specific benefits]. [Cite evidence: employer letters
describing benefit, evidence of U.S.-based impact, national importance of
the work].

Phase 5: Assembly

Output: Single file

Save as workspace/<matter-name>/petition/eb1a_petition_package.md:

# EB-1A Petition Package — [Beneficiary Name]
# DRAFT — For Attorney Review
# Generated: [Date]

---

## PART 1: SUPPORT LETTER

[Date]

RE:     Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
        EB-1A Classification (Extraordinary Ability)
Petitioner:     [Name / Self-petition]
Beneficiary:    [Full Name]
Field of Endeavor: [Field]

[Exhibit Table]

[Criterion arguments — same format as O-1A]

[SUSTAINED NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM — Step 2 totality argument]

[INTENT TO CONTINUE WORK IN THE FIELD]

[SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO THE UNITED STATES]

---

## PART 2: SOURCE REGISTRY
[Every fact with source]

---

## PART 3: WEB SOURCES — ATTORNEY ACTION REQUIRED
[URLs to verify and print]

---

## PART 4: EVIDENCE GAPS & FLAGS

### Strength Assessment
| Criterion | Evidence | Strength |
|-----------|----------|----------|
| ... | ... | ... |

### EB-1A-Specific Checklist
- [ ] Step 2 totality argument addresses "sustained" acclaim
- [ ] Timeline spans multiple years (not single-year achievements)
- [ ] Independent evidence corroborates every expert letter
- [ ] "Continue to work" section has documentary support
- [ ] "Substantially benefit U.S." section has employer/industry letters
- [ ] At least one piece of Tier 1 evidence per criterion argued

Important Notes

• EB-1A is STRICTER than O-1A — the same evidence that passes O-1A may not pass EB-1A
• Step 2 (totality) is where most denials happen — invest in this section
• "Sustained" means ongoing — a cluster of achievements from one year is weaker than achievements spanning 3-5 years
• Letters are advisory opinions — ALWAYS corroborate with independent documentary evidence
• The beneficiary can self-petition (no employer required) but must still show intent to continue working in the field
• This is a DRAFT — a licensed immigration attorney must review and sign