I passed the AWS Certified Security – Specialty on my first attempt. Experts say it’s one of the most difficult exams in the AWS lineup. I have a question: can this be considered “participation in professional organizations” under the EB-1 criteria? Which specific certifications and memberships does USCIS count for this criterion?
Congratulations on your first attempt — that’s really not easy. But for the membership criterion they look specifically at associations that accept you based on achievements — like IEEE Senior Member or NAE, where a nomination from fellow expert colleagues is required. When I reviewed my own case, an AWS certificate definitely did not meet that criterion — it’s an exam anyone prepared can pass. Better to use it as supporting material in the contributions or critical role sections.
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membership criterion: the officer looks at selectivity - whether there’s peer review for admission. In our case the lawyer said that IEEE Senior Member or ACM Distinguished Engineer count as professional associations, an AWS cert does not - it’s an exam, not a nomination.
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An AWS certificate is an achievement, not a membership; for EB-1 you specifically need a nomination from experts.
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