Key Points
- USCIS has updated its policy manual with guidance on the evidence it will accept for O-1A STEM petitions
- USCIS will now accept individuals’ names at the top of a competitive STEM research grant as evidence
- The USCIS Policy Manual contains a complete list of items eligible for proving evidence
Overview
On July 22, 2022, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Policy Manual to provide additional guidance on evidence that it will accept in a petition for an O-1A nonimmigrant of extraordinary ability or achievement with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions.
Specifically, USCIS has clarified that beneficiaries can show evidence that they are at the top of their field by being named on a competitive government grant for STEM research. This evidence is added to the listed examples of evidence that may be submitted to show that an applicant has extraordinary ability in the STEM fields. The complete list is available in the USCIS Policy Manual.
Written by: Lucy Halse, Content Marketing Associate, Envoy Global
Edited by: Dmitri Pikman, Supervising Attorney, Corporate Immigration Partners
Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services
