Hackathon judge and reviewer of 1 conference. Is that enough for ‘judge’?

Serving as a hackathon judge and reviewing 1 conference counts as evaluation experience, but these activities alone are unlikely to be enough to sustain the ‘judge’ criterion for EB-1. What this criterion looks for is a pattern of recognition: being called upon to judge others’ work on a recurring and meaningful basis within your field.

A single review or a one-time participation shows that you received an invitation, which is a positive sign, but these tend to carry little weight when they appear in isolation. The assessment looks at the overall picture: how frequently and in what contexts you have been recognized as someone qualified to evaluate peers.

• Gather every occasion on which you evaluated someone else’s work, along with the formal invitation for each one.
• Demonstrate the prestige and relevance of the events or publications involved.
• Combine this experience with other evidence of distinction in your field.

In short, these experiences help build your case, but they rarely sustain it on their own. It is worth checking the current requirements with the USCIS and reviewing your full body of evidence with a specialist.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.