O-1A Criterion 4: Judging the Work of Others

Serving as a judge of others' work shows that experts in the field trust your evaluation. USCIS reads this criterion broadly — it is one of the easiest to document, and one of the easiest to under-document.

The regulation

Evidence of the beneficiary's participation, either individually or on a panel, as a judge of the work of others in the same or an allied field of specialization.

What USCIS is actually looking for

• Genuine evaluation of others' work, not a side-effect of normal supervisory duties.
• In the same or an allied field. Judging must connect to the beneficiary's core expertise.
• Evidence you actually judged, not just an invitation.

Strong evidence examples

• Formal invitation or appointment email, with the organizer's name and role.
• Program, agenda, or website listing you as judge or reviewer.
• Completed review reports, scorecards, or acceptance notifications signed off by you.
• A short description of the event, conference, journal, or grant program establishing significance.

Types of judging that qualify

• Peer review of scholarly papers — one of the clearest forms. Show invitation + completed review.
• Conference program committees — reviewing submitted papers for acceptance.
• Hackathon / competition panels — invitation + judge roster + scoring evidence.
• Grant review panels — NSF, NIH, ERC, or private foundation committees.
• Editorial boards — standing role reviewing submissions for a journal.

Common pitfalls

• "I manage engineers" is not judging. Evaluating direct reports in routine performance reviews does not count.
• Being a hiring manager. Interviews evaluate candidates, not their work product in the field, so USCIS usually does not credit them.
• No proof of completion. Being invited to judge and then not documenting that you actually did it weakens the claim.

FAQ

Does reviewing one paper for one journal count? It can. But a single review is thin — pair it with other judging roles if possible.

Do internal awards committees at my company count? Only if the committee evaluates work in the field at large, not just internal employees.

Is being a mentor or advisor enough? Usually not on its own — unless the mentorship involved formal evaluation of deliverables.