Context:

• Industry profile (work at a FAANG company)
• Petitioned via attorney
• Application submitted on 4/24/26 (I-907 receipt date and start of processing)
• Received receipt in the mail from TSC on 4/28/26
• Notification of RFE on 12th business day (based on USCIS tracker, no email was sent)

Criteria Applied:

• Critical Role [MET]
• Original Contributions of Major Significance [NOT MET]
• Judging [MET]
• Authorship [MET]
• High Salary [NOT MET]

What’s confusing to me is the following statement in my RFE: “As discussed above, the beneficiary has not garnered a one-time achievement award, he has, however, met at least three of the ten criteria. Prior to a final merits discussion, USCIS is affording the petitioner the opportunity to submit additional evidence to demonstrate you have attained the sustained national or international acclaim and achievements that have been recognized in the field of expertise indicating that you are one of the small percentages who has risen to the very top of the field of endeavor.”

While I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my evidence, I have just never seen anyone talk about getting a RFE after having met 3 criteria and prior to a Final Merits Determination (FMD). Hoping to get advice on how to tackle this RFE.

Additional Notes:

1. The notes seem to indicate that they did read through my petition to some extent. All the three criterias met were according to the “plain language.”