FULFILLING CRITERIA FOR TALENT VISAS

The applicant was officially invited as an expert or jury member to evaluate the work of other professionals in their field.

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In other words, it is necessary to show that the applicant not only received an invitation, but actually participated in the selection or review process — for example, analysis of a project, research, application, or work of other specialists.

This point concerns participation in juries or expert commissions, which can confirm the status of a recognized specialist in the field. Such evidence, according to open sources and practice, may be considered among materials submitted during document preparation for the EB-1 (Green Card for Extraordinary Ability) category, as they demonstrate the person's professional authority. This is general information and is not a recommendation for building your specific petition.

Here's how the original looks on the USCIS website: Link

Here is our translation of the original:

Participation of the person — individually or as part of a jury — as a judge of the work of other specialists in the same or a related field for which classification is sought. USCIS determines whether the person actually served as a judge of others' work in the same or a related field of specialization. Examples of evaluating the work of others:

Reviewing scholarly articles in professional journals — with an invitation from the journal's editors and confirmation that the review was actually completed.

Reviewing abstracts or scholarly papers submitted to professional conferences in the relevant field.

Membership on a Ph.D. Committee that makes decisions about awarding a doctoral degree, confirmed by internal university or faculty documents.

The "Judging" Criterion: Briefly and Clearly

What successful applicants prove according to open sources:

They show that they were invited and actually participated in evaluating the work of other professionals in the applicant's field, or a related field. This can be an expert commission, jury, peer review, etc.

Below is a summary of practices and recommendations we have heard from licensed U.S. immigration attorneys and seen in successful petitions. This is exclusively information from open sources, not legal advice or instructions for your case. The final structure of evidence and text of all letters is composed exclusively by your attorney.

Documents confirming jury participation:

• Copies of protocols or event reports listing your name among jury members.
• Official invitations from competition or conference organizers.
• Publications or media mentions of the applicant as a jury member or expert.
• Links or screenshots from official event websites where the applicant is listed among judges.

Evidence that judging matched the applicant's professional field:

• Extracts from competition rules or description of evaluation criteria.
• Media announcements indicating the event's theme and participant requirements.
• Lists of participants or winners demonstrating the event's connection to the applicant's field.

Confirmation of competition authority:

• Official rules with award criteria.
• Publications or analytical materials about the organization's or jury's reputation.
• Data on number of participants, geographic scale, coverage level.
• Lists of previous winners who have professional recognition.

Examples of activities most commonly submitted under this criterion (no guarantee of acceptance):

• Reviewing scholarly or professional articles in journals.
• Participating in thesis or dissertation defenses as a committee member.
• Judging in professional or industry competitions (PR, design, architecture, etc.).
• Participating in award or festival juries.
• Judging sports competitions or tournaments.
• Expert participation in artistic, cultural, or educational project competitions.

Summary:

As experts note: the "Judging" criterion is used to demonstrate that the applicant is recognized as an expert trusted to evaluate other professionals.

It's important not just to have an invitation, but to show that this is an authoritative event in the applicant's field and that they took direct part in the evaluation process.

As with other criteria, to confirm the fact of jury participation, an explanatory letter needs to be prepared.

Example possible structure of an explanatory letter (confirmation of jury participation)

Below is a generalized structure of an explanatory letter that we have seen in successful cases. The specific text and wording is always composed by your attorney. These letters are artificially created and serve an informational purpose, not as an example specifically for you.

We hope you now understand how specialists recommend presenting yourself as a jury member, and we move on to Criterion #5, Contribution to the Field: Link