Substantial compensation relative to others in the field
Evidence that the alien has commanded, or now commands, a high salary or other substantial remuneration for services in relation to others in the field;
—8 CFR 214.2(o)(3)(iv)(B)(6); parallel MPTV at (o)(3)(v)(B)(6)
Salary alone is not enough—the regulation asks for comparison to others in the field. Officers look for credible comparators: union scale vs. overscale, industry surveys, agency deal benchmarks, royalty or backend structures explained in contracts, and geography-appropriate context (e.g., New York or Los Angeles market rates for comparable roles).
Remuneration can include guaranteed fees, buyouts, licensing advances, and significant endorsement income if tied to personal services in the artistic field—document with contracts and tax or accounting summaries where appropriate and lawfully available.
For MPTV, extraordinary achievement analysis may increase scrutiny on whether the compensation truly reflects outstanding stature—not merely union minimums with overtime.
Strong Evidence
Weak Evidence
Common RFE Triggers
Pro Tips
Contracts, deal memos, pay statements, 1099/W-2 summaries, agency statements, union contracts or schedules, industry survey excerpts, and Recommendation letters that reference documented terms. Upload with clear labels for O-1B high remuneration analysis under 214.2(o)(3)(iv)(B)(6).