Membership Documentation

Evidence of membership in associations that require outstanding achievements for admission.

Video Guidance

Presented by Nicole Gunara, Principal Immigration Attorney at Manifest Law

Task Guidance

USCIS requires evidence of your membership in associations that require outstanding achievements for admission, as judged by recognized national or international experts.

Not every membership qualifies—this is a common area of confusion.

  • Proof of your membership, such as a printout from the organization's website or an email containing your invitation/initiation
  • Information about the organization including website printouts about the process for selecting members and the identity of those involved in the selection process
  • Bylaws or other documentation about the member selection process
  • A letter from a board member explaining the selectivity of the organization (if other objective evidence is limited)

  • USCIS is looking for memberships where admission is based on your qualifications, achievements, or expert review—not simply paying a fee.
  • If anyone can join by paying dues, it likely does NOT qualify.
  • The organization must have a selective admissions process that evaluates candidates based on their professional accomplishments.

Strong Examples
  • Organization that requires nomination, peer review, and demonstrated outstanding achievement in order to be a member.
Weak Examples
  • A professional association anyone can join by paying annual dues with no review of qualifications.

This evidence demonstrates that you have been recognized by expert peers as having outstanding achievements in your field.