I defended my master’s thesis and received an honorable mention. Does that count as a major award?

Receiving an honorable mention at your master’s thesis defense is a genuine achievement, but in the context of EB-1, it is typically not read as a ‘major award’. In this category, that term usually refers to honors with broad national or international recognition that demonstrate an outstanding position in your field.

This does not diminish your merit. It simply means that an academic distinction of this kind tends to serve as supporting evidence, evaluated within the full picture of your profile, rather than as standalone proof of extraordinary recognition.

To strengthen your case, the ideal approach is to combine this achievement with other elements that demonstrate consistent impact and recognition:

• Awards or honors with broader reach in your field.
• Publications, citations, and relevant contributions.
• Letters from experts confirming your standing in the field.

Since each case is reviewed individually by the competent authority, it is worth verifying updated requirements with USCIS or assessing your profile 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.