My coach has won awards; can I use their achievements?

No. In the EB-1, each applicant must demonstrate their own accomplishments, so your coach’s awards and achievements cannot be used as evidence of your merit. Having an award-winning mentor is a positive factor for your growth, but their recognition does not transfer to your petition.

This type of petition looks for evidence of excellence tied directly to you. In practice, what counts is anything that carries your name and your work, such as:

• Awards and recognitions received by you.
• Publications, projects, or results authored by you.
• Letters describing the impact of your work, not your coach’s.

The influence of a strong mentor may appear indirectly by helping you build a stronger track record, but it never replaces your own evidence. Presenting a third party’s achievements as your own not only fails to help, it can undermine the credibility of your overall case.

Since each case is evaluated individually, it is worth consulting the official USCIS guidance and, if needed, developing your evidence strategy with a trusted 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.