Participation as a judge of the work of others in your field
Evidence of the alien'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 to that for which classification is sought;
Under 8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iii)(B)(4), the beneficiary must have actually participated in evaluating other people’s work—not merely been invited, and not routine grading of one’s own students or internal peer feedback on team deliverables. The activity should sit in the same or an allied field as the O-1A classification.
Strong examples include peer review for scholarly journals (with evidence such as editor confirmation or reviewer history), study section or grant-review service for major funding bodies, program committee or competition judging for respected conferences or prizes, and external Ph.D. dissertation examination where you assessed another scholar’s thesis. USCIS expects documentation of performance (completed reviews, panel rosters with your service dates, thank-you letters from editors that confirm substantive review), not a bare invitation email.
Strong Evidence
Weak Evidence
Common RFE Triggers
Pro Tips
Judging Evidence should hold confirmations, rosters, certificates, and redacted review acknowledgments. Recommendation Letter or Expert Opinion Letter from editors or chairs can corroborate participation. Publication may apply when official proceedings list you as a program committee member. Use Other for official panel appointment PDFs or agency letters.
Similar criteria in other visa types: