I received an RFE because my awards were not considered significant. Should I argue another criterion?

Receiving an RFE (Request for Evidence) because your awards were not convincing does not mean your EB-1 petition is lost. It is a relatively common step: USCIS is signaling that the evidence, on its own, did not demonstrate the expected level of recognition, and is giving you the opportunity to strengthen your case.

Reinforcing the petition with other criteria is generally a valid strategy. Beyond awards, you can explore different types of evidence that the extraordinary ability category allows, such as:

• Academic or professional publications and citations of your work.
• Service as a judge or peer reviewer of others’ work in your field.
• Original and significant contributions to your field.
• Relevant media coverage or recognition of your work.

The key is to respond to the RFE with a cohesive dossier in which each piece of evidence is well documented and supports the others, demonstrating that your relevance does not rest on a single criterion. It is worth directly addressing the point raised by the officer, rather than simply adding unrelated documents.

Since the response to an RFE is decisive and has a deadline set by the notice, confirm the current requirements with USCIS and consider guidance from a specialist to build the strongest possible argument for your case.

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.