✅ AOS: approval
Daria received a green card through AOS based on an approved EB1A petition, without an RFE, with a strong legal case.
Case parameters
Filing: AOS
Decision: approval
Category: EB1A
Criteria claimed: judging (peer review), scholarly publications, awards, original contribution, critical roles, media
Timeline: about 8 months
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✓Judging (peer review)
Member of the editorial boards of major legal journals
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✓Scholarly publications
More than 20 articles with good citation counts
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✓Awards
A research fellowship at a prestigious institute
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✓Original contribution
Methods that influenced case law and legislation
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✓Critical roles
Co-authorships in manuals and textbooks
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✓Media
Publications in prestigious journals
How it went
I wanted to share the happy news — the green card is in hand. I am a licensed attorney in California. I completed law school (Master of Laws) in California.
The adjustment of status was filed from within the United States. It was processed for about 8 months. The approval arrived on the day a new memorandum was published. In the morning they released news about the memorandum, and in the afternoon an email about the approval arrived, which, of course, made that day very emotional. However, as I understand it, the approval email often arrives up to 24 hours after the actual approval, so the actual approval most likely occurred before the memorandum.
The status change was based on an approved EB1A petition. The petition was approved in July 2025, approved on the first try, without an RFE.
My case is in law, with a significant academic and practical background. I have many articles with good citation counts for the field of law. Over 20 articles in total, published since 2017. The most cited and influential articles were included in the case with explanations of their role for scholarship and practice, as well as the prestige of the journals in which they were published.
I had a strong impact on the field through co-authorships in manuals, textbooks, and collected volumes, as well as through methods I developed in the course of practical legal work. My work influenced the development of case law and legislation in Russia, particularly regarding rules for appealing court decisions. I was also a member of the editorial boards of several major legal journals. I have significant international experience; in particular, I won a research fellowship at the most prestigious institute for comparative law in Hamburg.
The case included over 20 recommendation letters from professors, researchers, and leading practicing lawyers from different countries (Russia, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the USA). The following criteria were met: judging (peer review), scholarly publications, awards, original contribution, critical roles, media.
The process of preparing the petition and changing status was very difficult, especially psychologically, with numerous reports about new rules and changes. This group helped me a lot to understand colleagues’ experiences. Probably the most important thing for me in this group was seeing examples of how people persist through this process, overcome all difficulties, and achieve the coveted approvals.
Special thanks to Egor @e_akimov for organizing the group, maintaining a supportive atmosphere, and simply for being willing to answer any questions and share experience!
Key insight
“The process of preparing the petition and changing status was difficult, especially psychologically. The group helped to understand colleagues’ experiences and overcome challenges.”
Daria (@Daria_ofc)
2025-07
EB1A petition approval
2026-06-08
AOS approval
Author of the story
Daria (@Daria_ofc), from the chat @talentvisahelp. Original message in the chat.
Useful on the topic
All information about O-1 / EB-1A / EB-2 NIW
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