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MotionNational Interest Waiver · Motion to reopen

Engineer and project manager in the oil and gas industry

Engineering · decided 2023-01-05 · TSC · JAN052023_01B5203

Official PDF on uscis.gov

How each part of the test was decided

Read from the appeals office's own sentences by fixed rules, not from the Director's findings or the petitioner's arguments. Each result shows the sentence it came from. The official PDF controls.

  • Step 0Eligible for EB-2Not decided

    No finding on this in the appeals office's own words.

  • Prong 1Merit and national importanceNot met
    Why
    The deficiencies in the already submitted evidence have been identified and discussed in our prior 2 The Petitioner's personal statement and resubmitted evidence do not overcome those deficiencies and does not establish that his proposed endeavor has national importance. p. 2
    The Director's denial rested on this
    However, the Director determined that the Petitioner had not established that the proposed endeavor was of national importance, or that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer, and thus of the labor certification. p. 1
  • Prong 2Well positioned to advance itNot decided

    No finding on this in the appeals office's own words.

  • Prong 3Worth waiving the job offerNot decided
    The Director's denial rested on this
    However, the Director determined that the Petitioner had not established that the proposed endeavor was of national importance, or that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer, and thus of the labor certification. p. 1

The decision in brief

Sentences picked out of the text automatically. Read them in context below; the official PDF controls.

Summary sentence

The Director of the Texas Service Center denied the petition, concluding that, although the Petitioner was an advanced degree professional and established eligibility for EB-2 classification, he had not demonstrated eligibility for a national interest waiver. See in text

What the AAO decided

  • On appeal, we affirmed the Director's decision that the Petitioner had not established the proposed endeavor's national importance and we dismissed the appeal. subsequent motion to reopen, concluding that the Petitioner had not established new facts supported by documentary evidence to overcome the basis for our previous decision that the Petitioner had not Because this issue was dispositive of the Petitioner's appeal, we declined to reach, but reserved, the appellate arguments regarding the remaining issue. See in text
  • ORDER: The motion to reopen is dismissed. decisions. See in text
Read the full decision (2 pages)

Objections found (1)

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Full decision

OCR text from the official PDF, reformatted for reading. Scan errors carry over; the PDF controls.

Highlighted: Outcome (2)Matter of X citation
Decision header
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · In Re: 23133666 · Motion on Administrative Appeals Office Decision · Non-Precedent Decision of the Administrative Appeals Office · Date: JAN. 05, 2023 · Form 1-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (National Interest Waiver)

The Petitioner, an engineer and project manager in the oil and gas industry, seeks second preference immigrant classification as either an advanced degree professional or an individual of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business. He also seeks a national interest waiver of the job offer requirement attached to this EB-2 classification. See Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act) section 203(b)(2), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(2).

After a petitioner has established eligibility for EB-2 classification, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may, as matter of discretion, grant a national interest waiver if the petitioner demonstrates: (1) that the foreign national' s proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance; (2) that the foreign national is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor; and (3) that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer and thus ofa labor certification. Matter ofDhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016).

The Director of the Texas Service Center denied the petition, concluding that, although the Petitioner was an advanced degree professional and established eligibility for EB-2 classification, he had not demonstrated eligibility for a national interest waiver. Specifically, the Director concluded that the Petitioner established that the proposed endeavor had substantial merit and that he is well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor. However, the Director determined that the Petitioner had not established that the proposed endeavor was of national importance, or that, on balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the requirements of a job offer, and thus of the labor certification.

On appeal, we affirmed the Director's decision that the Petitioner had not established the proposed endeavor's national importance and we dismissed the appeal. subsequent motion to reopen, concluding that the Petitioner had not established new facts supported by documentary evidence to overcome the basis for our previous decision that the Petitioner had not Because this issue was dispositive of the Petitioner's appeal, we declined to reach, but reserved, the appellate arguments regarding the remaining issue. See INS v. Bagamasbad, 429 U.S. 24, 25 (1976) ("courts and agencies are not required to make findings on issues the decision of which is unnecessary to the results they reach"); see also Matter ofL-A-C-, 26 I&N Dec. 516, 526 n.7 (BIA 2015) (declining to reach alternative issues on appeal where an applicant is otherwise ineligible) .

We also dismissed the Petitioner's p. 2 established the proposed endeavor's national importance. The matter is again before us on a second motion to reopen. A motion to reopen must state new facts and be supported by documentary evidence. 8 C.F.R. § 103.5(a)(2). We do not require the evidence of a "new fact" to have been previously unavailable or undiscoverable. Instead, "new facts" are facts that are relevant to the issue(s) raised on motion and that have not been previously submitted in the proceeding, which includes the original petition. Reasserting previously stated facts or resubmitting previously provided evidence does not constitute "new facts."

On motion, the Petitioner submits a brief, his personal statement and evidence already in the record. In his personal statement, the Petitioner quotes from recommendation letters also already in the record. The deficiencies in the already submitted evidence have been identified and discussed in our prior The Petitioner's personal statement and resubmitted evidence do not overcome those deficiencies and does not establish that his proposed endeavor has national importance. Therefore, the Petitioner has not stated new facts supported by documentary evidence that warrant reopening our prior decision.

The Petitioner bears the burden of proofto demonstrate eligibility by a preponderance ofthe evidence. Matter ofChawathe, 25 I&N Dec. 369, 375-76 (AAO 2010). Here, that burden has not been met.

ORDER: The motion to reopen is dismissed. decisions.Not eligible at the time of filing

We also note that much of this evidence is dated between July 2019 and June 2020, which is after the petition's filing date on May 17, 2019. However, a petitioner must establish eligibility at the time offiling. 8 C.F.R. §§ 103.2(b)(1), (12); Matter ofKatigbak, 14 l&N Dec. 45, 49 (Reg'l Comm'r 1971).