--- title: O-1A Judging Criterion | Evidence Guide | Lando url: https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/judging description: How to prove you have been invited to judge the work of others in your field. What USCIS looks for, the evidence that counts, and how Lando builds it. --- # O-1A Judging Criterion How to prove you have been invited to judge the work of others in your field. ## How USCIS states this criterion Evidence of the beneficiary's participation on a panel, or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or in an allied field of specialization for which classification is sought. This is criterion 4 of eight for the O-1A. A petition must meet at least three of the eight unless it rests on a major internationally recognized award. Source: [Policy Manual, Chapter 4](https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-m-chapter-4), checked September 21, 2026. **Quick answer.** O-1A Judging Criterion is one of the 8 O-1A evidence criteria. A petition shows a major award or at least three criteria, and USCIS then weighs the whole record. USCIS wants to see that you have participated as a judge of the work of others in your field. USCIS wants to see that you have participated as a judge of the work of others in your field. This is the easiest criterion to document when applicable and the least ambiguous: you either have judged or you haven't. What matters is the standing of the venue where you judged. ## Types of evidence ### Peer-review invitations Formal invitations to review for peer-reviewed journals or conferences, with dates and journal/conference names. ### Editorial board membership Documentation of editorial-board or advisory-board membership at recognized journals or trade publications. ### Grant or funding-committee service Selection to review grant applications for NIH, NSF, ERC, private foundations, or corporate innovation grants. ### Awards jury membership Service as a juror or panellist for industry awards, competitions, or fellowship selection committees. ### Hackathon / accelerator judging Documented service as a judge at hackathons, accelerator demo days, or startup competitions with named organisers. ### Documentation of the invitation Screenshots of platforms (Manuscript Central, OpenReview), thank-you letters from organisers, or public announcements naming you as judge. ## Evidence by profession ### [Startup founders](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/startup-founders) Judging at YC demo day, Techstars, accelerator programs, pitch competitions (Startup Battlefield, SXSW, LAUNCH). Investment-committee service also qualifies. ### [Researchers](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/researchers) Peer review for journals (Nature, Science, field-specific); program-committee service at recognized conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ACL); NIH / NSF study-section membership. ### Executives Board or advisory-committee service; industry-award jury membership; management-education case-writing committees. ### Engineers Peer review at conferences (ICML, NeurIPS, ACL, SIGGRAPH, KubeCon); program-committee membership; open-source project maintainer / PR reviewer role. ### Athletes Coaching-panel selection judging, sport-specific judging at competitions, athlete-advisory-board membership. Common in judged sports (gymnastics, skating, boxing). ### Consultants Recognition-award jury service; industry standards-committee membership; case-competition judging at top MBA programs. ## How we build this criterion ### Compile every judging invitation We collect email invitations, thank-you letters, platform screenshots, and public announcements listing you as judge or reviewer. ### Document the venue's standing For each judging engagement, we attach information about the conference, journal, competition, or award's history and significance. ### Show pattern of service We organize the exhibit chronologically so USCIS sees sustained, ongoing service, not a one-time judging engagement. ## Common questions What counts as evidence for the O-1A Judging criterion? Examples include peer-review invitations, editorial board membership, grant or funding-committee service, awards jury membership. The strongest cases combine several types of evidence, because no single document is enough on its own. What are common mistakes with the O-1A Judging criterion? Informal or unnamed judging, 'I reviewed a friend's paper' doesn't qualify. USCIS wants documented, named service. Judging within your own company, internal reviews of colleague work don't count; the venue needs to be external. How many O-1A criteria do I need to meet? A petition shows a major internationally recognized award, or at least three of the 8 O-1A criteria. USCIS then considers all the evidence in its totality, so the quality of each piece of evidence matters as much as the count. How does Lando build the O-1A Judging criterion? Lando works in 3 steps: compile every judging invitation, document the venue's standing, show pattern of service. Lando is not a law firm; petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. ## Official sources - [O-1 Visa: Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/o-1-visa-individuals-with-extraordinary-ability-or-achievement) (USCIS) - [USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M, Chapter 4: O-1 Beneficiaries](https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-m-chapter-4) (USCIS) - [USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part M: Nonimmigrants of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement (O)](https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-m) (USCIS) - [8 CFR 214.2(o): O classification, aliens of extraordinary ability](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-214.2) (eCFR) ## Related - [O-1A visa, overview & all criteria](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa) - [O-1 visa overview (O-1A vs O-1B)](https://trylando.com/o1-visa) - [O-1A Critical Role Criterion](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/critical-role) - [O-1A High Salary Criterion](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/high-salary) - [O-1A Press & Media Criterion](https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/press-media) --- Lando is not a law firm. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. Source: https://trylando.com/o1a-visa/judging