I was a blogger and reviewed guest articles. Does that count as ‘judging’?

Acting as a blogger and evaluating guest articles can, in theory, approach the criterion of judging the work of others (‘judging’) used in the EB-1 analysis. What matters is not the label but the nature of the role: the more formal, structured, and recognized it is, the more weight it tends to carry.

This criterion typically refers to a clear evaluative role, such as reviewing submissions for a journal, serving on a panel or committee, or judging a competition with a defined process. Casual curation of posts on your own blog, without formal selection or industry recognition, is unlikely to be read the same way.

For the activity to help your case, it needs to be well documented: an official invitation, a description of the process, who organized it, and the relevance of the venue. It is the proof of the role and its reach that turns an experience into usable evidence.

• The formal evaluative role matters more than the volume of articles reviewed.
• Document the invitation, the process, and the reputation of the venue.
• Informal curation can contribute, but it rarely sustains the criterion on its own.

Since each case is assessed individually, it is worth checking the current criteria with the official source (USCIS) and reviewing your background with a specialist before filing.

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.