sustained EB-1A Case: Music

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PUBLICCOPY
U.S,Departmentof HomelandSecurity
U.S.CitizenshipandImmigrationServices
AdministrativeAppealsOffice (AAO)
20 MassachusettsAve..N.W.. MS2090
Washincion.DC 20529-2090
U.S.Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
DATE: AUGg 9 2012 Office: TEXASSERVICECENTER FILE:
IN RE: Petitioner:
Beneficiary:
PETITION: ImmigrantPetitionfor Alien WorkerasanAlien of ExtraordinaryAbility Pursuantto
Section203(b)(1)(A)of theImmigrationandNationalityAct, 8 U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(1)(A)
ONBEHALFOFPETITIONER:
INSTRUCTIONS:
This is thedecisionof theAdministrativeAppealsOffice in yourcase. Pleasenotethatall documents
havebeenreturnedto theoffice that originallydecidedyour case. Pleasealsonotethat any further
inquirymustbemadeto thatoffice.
Thankyou,
PerryRhew
Chief,AdministrativeAppealsOffice
www.uscis.gov
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DISCUSSION: The employment-basedimmigrantvisa petition was deniedby the Director,
TexasServiceCenter,andisnowbeforetheAdministrativeAppealsOffice(AAO) onappeal.The
appealwill besustained.
The petitioner seeksclassificationas an employment-basedimmigrant pursuantto section
203(b)(1)(A)of theImmigrationandNationalityAct (theAct), 8 U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(1)(A),asan
alien of extraordinaryability in the arts. The directordeterminedthat the petitionerhadnot
establishedthe requisiteextraordinaryability throughextensivedocumentationand sustained
nationalor internationalacclaim.
Congressseta veryhighbenchmarkfor aliensof extraordinaryabilityby requiringthroughthe
statutethatthepetitionerdemonstratethealien's"sustainednationalor internationalacclaim"and
present"extensivedocumentation"of thealien'sachievements.Seesection203(b)(1)(A)(i)of the
Act and8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3).Theimplementingregulationat 8 C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3)statesthat
an aliencanestablishsustainednationalor internationalacclaimthroughevidenceof a one-time
achievement,specificallya major,internationallyrecognizedaward.Absentthereceiptof suchan
award, the regulation outlines ten categoriesof specific objective evidence. 8 C.F.R.
§204.5(h)(3)(i)through(x). Thepetitionermustsubmitqualifyingevidenceunderatleastthreeof
thetenregulatorycategoriesof evidencetoestablishthebasiceligibilityrequirements.
On appeal,counselassertsthatthepetitionermeetsat leastthreeof thecategoriesof evidenceat
8 C.F.R.§§204.5(h)(3).Forthereasonsdiscussedbelow,theAAO findsthatthepetitionermeets
thestatutoryandregulatoryrequirementsfor classificationasanalienof extraordinaryability.
L Law
Section203(b)oftheAct states,in pertinentpart,that:
(1) Priorityworkers.-- Visasshallfirst bemadeavailable. . . to qualifiedimmigrantswho
arealiensdescribedin anyof thefollowingsubparagraphs(A) through(C):
(A) Alienswith extraordinaryability.-- An alienisdescribedin thissubparagraphif --
(i) the alien hasextraordinaryability in the sciences,arts,education,
business,or athleticswhichhasbeendemonstratedby sustainednational
or internationalacclaimandwhoseachievementshavebeenrecognized
in thefieldthroughextensivedocumentation,
(ii) thealienseeksto entertheUnitedStatesto continueworkin thearea
of extraordinaryability,and
(iii) the alien's entry into the United Stateswill substantiallybenefit
prospectivelytheUnitedStates.
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U.S. CitizenshipandImmigrationServices(USCIS)andlegacyImmigrationandNaturalization
Service(INS)haveconsistentlyrecognizedthatCongressintendedto seta very high standardfor
individualsseekingimmigrantvisasasaliensof extraordinaryability. SeeH.R.723101"Cong.,2d
Sess.59(1990);56Fed.Reg.60897,60898-99(Nov.29,1991).Theterm"extraordinaryability"
refersonly to thoseindividualsin that smallpercentagewho haverisento the very top of the
fieldof endeavor.Id. and8 C.F.R.§204.5(h)(2).
The regulationat 8 C.F.R.§ 204.5(h)(3)requiresthat an aliendemonstratehis or her sustained
acclaimandtherecognitionof hisor herachievementsin thefield. Suchacclaimandachievements
must be establishedeither through evidenceof a one-timeachievement(that is, a major,
internationalrecognizedaward)or throughmeetingat leastthreeof thefollowingtencategoriesof
evidence:
(i) Documentationof the alien's receiptof lessernationallyor internationally
recognizedprizesor awardsfor excellencein thefieldof endeavor;
(ii) Documentationof thealien'smembershipin associationsin the field for which
classificationis sought,whichrequireoutstandingachievementsof their members,
asjudged by recognizednationalor internationalexpertsin their disciplinesor
fields;
(iii) Publishedmaterialaboutthealienin professionalor majortradepublicationsor
othermajormedia,relatingto thealien'sworkin thefield for whichclassificationis
sought. Suchevidenceshallincludethetitle, date,andauthorof thematerial,and
anynecessarytranslation;
(iv) Evidenceof thealien'sparticipation,eitherindividuallyor onapanel,asajudge
of the work of othersin the sameor an allied field of specializationfor which
classificationis sought;
(v) Evidenceof thealien'soriginalscientific,scholarly,artistic,athletic,orbusiness-
relatedcontributionsof majorsignificancein thefield;
(vi) Evidenceof the alien's authorshipof scholarlyarticles in the field, in
professionalor majortradepublicationsor othermajormedia;
(vii) Evidenceof thedisplayof thealien'swork in thefield atartisticexhibitionsor
showcases;
(viii) Evidencethat the alien has performedin a leading or critical role for
organizationsor establishmentsthathaveadistinguishedreputation;
(ix) Evidencethatthealienhascommandedahighsalaryor othersignificantlyhigh
remunerationfor services,in relationto othersin thefield; or
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(x) Evidenceof commercialsuccessesin theperformingarts,asshownbyboxoffice
receiptsorrecord,cassette,compactdisk,or videosales.
In 2010,theU.S.Courtof Appealsfor theNinthCircuit(NinthCircuit)reviewedthedenialof a
petitionfiledunderthisclassification.Kazarianv. USCIS,596F.3d1115(9* Cir.2010).Although
the courtupheldthe AAO's decisionto denythe petition,the courttook issuewith the AAO's
evaluationof evidencesubmittedto meetagivenevidentiarycriterion.1With respectto thecriteria
at 8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3)(iv)and(vi), the courtconcludedthat whileUSCISmayhaveraised
legitimateconcemsaboutthe significanceof the evidencesubmittedto meetthosetwo criteria,
thoseconcernsshouldhavebeenraisedin asubsequent"finalmeritsdetermination."Id. at 1121-22.
ThecourtstatedthattheAAO's evaluationrestedonanimproperunderstandingof theregulations.
Insteadof parsingthesignificanceof evidenceaspartof theinitial inquiry,thecourtstatedthat"the
properprocedureis to countthe typesof evidenceprovided(which the AAO did)," andif the
petitionerfailedto submitsufficientevidence,"theproperconclusionisthattheapplicanthasfailed
to satisfythe regulatoryrequirementof threetypesof evidence(asthe AAO concluded)."Id. at
1122(citingto 8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3)).Thecourtalsoexplainedthe"finalmeritsdetermination"as
thecorollaryto thisprocedure:
If a petitionerhassubmittedtherequisiteevidence,USCISdetermineswhetherthe
evidencedemonstratesbotha"levelof expertiseindicatingthattheindividualis one
of thatsmallpercentagewhohaverisentotheverytopof the[ir] field of endeavor,"
8 C.F.R.§ 204.5(h)(2),and"that the alienhassustainednationalor international
acclaimandthat his or her achievementshavebeenrecognizedin the field of
expertise."8 C.F.R.§ 204.5(h)(3).Only alienswhoseachievementshavegarnered
"sustainednationalor internationalacclaim" are eligible for an "extraordinary
ability"visa.8U.S.C.§ l l53(b)(1)(A)(i).
Id.at 1119-20.
Thus, Kazarian setsforth a two-part approachwherethe evidenceis first countedand then
consideredin thecontextof afinal meritsdetermination.
H. Analysis
A. EvidentiaryCriteria
This petition, filed on May 20, 2011, seeksto classify the petitioner as an alien with
extraordinaryability asa rock singerandmusician. Uponreviewof thepetitioner'sappealand
thedocumentationof record,theAAO findsthatthepetitioner'sevidencemeetsthecategoriesof
evidenceat 8C.F.R.§§204.5(h)(3)(iii),(v), and(x). Accordingly,thepetitionermeetsat least
Specifically,thecourtstatedthattheAAO hadunilaterallyimposednovelsubstantiveor evidentiaryrequirements
beyondthosesetforthin theregulationsat8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3)(iv)and8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3)(vi).
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threeof thetencategoriesof evidencethatmustbesatisfiedto establishtheminimumeligibility
requirementsnecessaryto qualifyasanalienof extraordinaryability. 8 C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3).
B. Final MeritsDetermination
TheAAO will nextconducta finalmeritsdeterminationthatconsidersall of theevidencein the
contextof whetheror notthepetitionerhasdemonstrated:(1) a "level of expertiseindicatingthat
the individualis oneof that smallpercentagewho haverisento the very top of the[ir] field of
endeavor,"8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(2);and(2) "thatthealienhassustainednationalor international
acclaimandthathis or herachievementshavebeenrecognizedin thefield of expertise."Section
203(b)(1)(A)oftheAct;8C.F.R.§204.5(h)(3).SeealsoKazarian,596F.3dat 1119-20.
In thepresentmatter,the petitionerhassubmittedextensivedocumentationof his achievements
asanIsraelirocksinger,lyricist,andcomposerandhasdemonstrateda "careerof acclaimedwork
in thefield" ascontemplatedby Congress.H.R.Rep.No. 101-723,59 (Sept.19,1990). The
submittedevidenceis sufficientto demonstratethe petitioner'ssustainednationalacclaimand
thathis achievementshavebeenrecognizedin the field of expertise.Moreover,the submitted
documentationshowsthat the petitioneris amongthat smallpercentagewho haverisento the
verytop of thefield of endeavor.
III. Conclusion
In review,while not all of thepetitioner'sevidencecarriesthe weightimputedto it by counsel,
the petitionerhassubmittedevidencequalifying underat leastthreeof the ten categoriesof
evidenceandestablisheda "level of expertiseindicatingthatthe individualis oneof that small
percentagewhohaverisento the verytop of the[ir] field of endeavor"and"sustainednationalor
internationalacclaim." His achievementshavebeenrecognizedin his field of expertise. The
petitionerhasestablishedthat he seeksto continueworking in the samefield in the United
States. The petitionerhasestablishedthat his entry into the United Stateswill substantially
benefitprospectivelythe United States.Therefore,thepetitionerhasestablishedeligibility for
thebenefitsoughtundersection203of theAct.
Theburdenof proofin visapetitionproceedingsremainsentirelywith thepetitioner.Section291of
theAct, 8 U.S.C.§ 1361.Thepetitionerhassustainedthatburden.
ORDER: Thedecisionof thedirectoriswithdrawn.Theappealis sustainedandthepetitionis
approved.