dismissed EB-1A Case: Education

identifyingdatadeletedto
preventclearlyunwarranted
ofpenonalprivacy
PUBLICCOPY
U.S.Departmentof HomelandSecurity
U.S.CitizenshipandImmigrationServices
AdministrativeAppealsOffice (AAO)
20 MassachusettsAve,. N.W.. MS 2090
Washinaton.DC 20529-2090
U.S.Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
DATE: APR1 3 2012 Office: TEXASSERVICECENTER
IN RE:
PETITION: ImmigrantPetitionfor Alien WorkerasanAlien of ExtraordinaryAbility Pursuantto
Section203(b)(1)(A)of theImmigrationandNationalityAct, 8U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(1)(A)
ON BEHALFOFPETITIONER:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Enclosedpleasefind the decisionof the AdministrativeAppealsOffice in your case. All of the
documentsrelatedto thismatterhavebeenreturnedto theofficethatoriginallydecidedyourcase.Please
beadvisedthatanyfurtherinquirythatyoumighthaveconcerningyourcasemustbemadeto thatoffice.
Thankyou,
PerryRhew
Chief,AdministrativeAppealsOffice
www.uscis.gov
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DISCUSSION: The employment-basedimmigrant visa petition was deniedby the Director,
TexasServiceCenter,andisnowbeforetheAdministrativeAppealsOffice(AAO) onappeal.The
appealwill berejected.
Thepetitionerisa publicuniversity. It seeksto classifythebeneficiaryasanemployment-based
immigrantpursuantto section203(b)(1)(A)of the ImmigrationandNationality Act (the Act),
8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(1)(A),as an alien of extraordinaryability in education. The director
determinedthat the petitionerhad not establishedthe requisiteextraordinaryability for the
beneficiaryandfailedto submitextensivedocumentationof hersustainednationalor international
acclaim.
TheForm I-140, ImmigrantPetitionfor Alien Worker,wassubmittedto U.S. Citizenshipand
ImmigrationServiceson May 13, 2010. Part 1 of the Form I-140 identifies"The Ohio State
University" as the petitioner. In Part 8 of the Form I-140, under "Petitioner's Signature,"
counselsignedandcertifiedthe petitionelectronically. TheFormI-140 wasnot signedby the
petitioner,asrequiredby regulation,but insteadby thepetitioner'sattorney. In thisinstance,no
employeeor officer of Ohio StateUniversitysignedand certifiedthe Form I-140. The only
signatureson the form arethatof counsel.TheAAO notesthatthe regulationsdo not permitan
individualwhoisnotthepetitionerto signtheFormI-140.
Theregulationat8C.F.R.§ 103.2(a)(2)provides:
Signature.An applicantor petitionermustsignhis or her applicationor petition.
However,aparentor legalguardianmaysignfor apersonwhois lessthan14years
old. A legalguardianmaysignfor a mentallyincompetentperson.By signingthe
applicationor petition,the applicantor petitioner,or parentor guardiancertifies
underpenaltyof perjurythattheapplicationor petition,andall evidencesubmitted
with it, eitheratthetimeof filing or thereafter,is trueandcorrect.Unlessotherwise
specifiedin thischapter,anacceptablesignatureonanapplicationor petitionthatis
beingfiled with the BCIS is onethat is eitherhandwrittenor, for applicationsor
petitions filed electronicallyas permittedby the instructionsto the form, in
electronicformat.
TheFormI-140Instructionsstate:
If the petitioneris an individual, thenthat individual, or that individual's legal
guardianif he or sheis incompetentor under 14 yearsof age,mustpersonally
sign the petition. If the petitioner is a corporation or other legal entity, only an
individualwho is anofficer or employeeof the entity who hasknowledgeof the
factsallegedin thepetition,andwhohasauthorityto signdocumentsonbehalfof
theentity,maysignthepetition.
Thereis no regulatoryprovision that waivesthe signaturerequirementfor a petitioningU.S.
employeror that permitsa petitioning U.S. employerto designatean attorneyor accredited
representativeto signthe petitionon behalfof the U.S. employer. In this instance,the petition
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hasnotbeenproperlyfiledbecausethepetitioningU.S.employer,OhioStateUniversity,didnot
sign the petition. Pursuantto the regulation at 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(a)(7)(i), an application or
petition which is not properlysignedshall be rejectedasimproperlyfiled, andno receiptdate
can be assignedto an improperlyfiled petition. While the servicecenterdid not reject the
petition, the AAO is not bound to follow the contradictorydecision of a service center.
LouisianaPhilharmonicOrchestrav.INS,No. 98-2855,2000WL 282785,*l, *3 (E.D.La.),affd,
248F.3d1139(5thCir.2001),cert.denied,122S.Ct.51(2001).
In thepresentmatter,counselsignedtheFormI-140petitionbothonbehalfof thepetitionerandas
thepreparer.Thesignatureline on theFormI-140 for thepetitionerprovidesthatthe petitioner
is certifying,"underpenaltyof perjuryunderthe lawsof theUnited Statesof America,thatthis
petition and the evidencesubmittedwith it are all true and correct." To be valid, 28 U.S.C.
§ 1746requiresthat declarationsbe "subscribed"by the declarant"as true underpenalty of
perjury." Id. In pertinentpart, 18 U.S.C. § 1621,which governsliability for perjury under
federallaw, mandatesthat: "Whoeverin any declarationunderpenaltyof perjury aspermitted
undersection1746of title 28, United StatesCode,willfully subscribesas true any material
matterwhichhedoesnotbelieveto betrueis guilty of perjury." 18U.S.C.§ 1621.
The probativeforce of a declarationsubscribedunder penalty of perjury derivesfrom the
signatureof thedeclarant;onemaynot signa declaration"for" another.Withoutthepetitioner's
actualsignatureasdeclarant,the declarationis completelyrobbedof anyevidentiaryforce. See
In reRivera,342B.R.435,459(D.N.J.2006);Blumbergv. Gates,No.CV 00-05607,2003WL
22002739(C.D.Cal.)(notselectedfor publication).
The AAO notesthat an entirelyseparateline existson the FormI-140 for the signatureof the
preparer(Part9) declaringthattheform is "basedon all informationof which [thepreparerhas]
any knowledge." Thus,the Form I-140 petition acknowledgesthat a preparerwho is not the
petitionercannotattestto the contentsof the petition and supportingevidence. Rather,the
preparermayonly declarethattheinformationprovidedis all theinformationof which heor she
hasknowledge.
Becausethe underlyingpetition wasnot properly filed with the petitioner's signatureasrequired
by theregulationat 8 C.F.R.§ 103.2(a)(2),furtheractiononthepetitioncannotbepursued,andthe
appealmustberejected.
ORDER: Theappealis rejected.