dismissed EB-1C Case: Diamond Purchasing
Decision Summary
The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish that the beneficiary was employed overseas for the required one year in the three years preceding his entry as a nonimmigrant. An analysis of the beneficiary's travel records showed he spent only 272 days overseas during the three-year qualifying period, which is less than the required 365 days. The time the beneficiary spent in the United States, even for business purposes, did not count towards the foreign employment requirement.
Criteria Discussed
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U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
In Re: 15368304
Appeal of Nebraska Service Center Decision
Non-Precedent Decision of the
Administrative Appeals Office
Date: FEB. 11, 2021
Form 1-140, Petition for Multinational Managers or Executives
The Petitioner, describing itself as a diamond purchasing business, seeks to permanently employ the
Beneficiary as its chief executive officer under the first preference immigrant classification for
multinational executives or managers. Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act)
section 203(b)(l)(C), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(l)(C).
The Director of the Nebraska Service Center denied the petition, concluding the record did not
establish, as required, that the Beneficiary would be employed in a managerial or executive capacity
in the United States. In addition, the Director determined the Petitioner did not demonstrate that the
Beneficiary had been employed overseas in a managerial or executive capacity for one year in the
three years preceding his entry into the United States as a nonimmigrant. The Petitioner later filed a
motion to reopen and a motion to reconsider. The Director granted the motion but concluded that the
petition would remain denied because the Petitioner did not establish the Beneficiary's eligibility for
the benefit sought. The matter is now before us on appeal.
On appeal, the Petitioner asserts its business is sufficiently complex and that it generates substantial
revenue to support the Beneficiary is a qualifying executive capacity. Likewise, the Petitioner also
contends that the Beneficiary was employed in a similar executive capacity abroad for the required
one year in the three years preceding his entry as a nonimmigrant.
Upon de nova review, we will dismiss the appeal. In these proceedings, it is the Petitioner's burden
to establish eligibility for the requested benefit. Section 291 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1361. The
Petitioner did not sufficiently establish that the Beneficiary was employed in a managerial or executive
capacity overseas for one year in the three years preceding his entry into the United States as a
nonimmigrant. Since this identified basis for denial is dispositive of the Petitioner's appeal, we decline
to reach and hereby reserve the Petitioner's appellate arguments regarding whether Beneficiary would
be employed in a managerial or executive capacity in the United States and whether his former position
abroad was in a managerial or executive capacity. 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 of L-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) .
I. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
An immigrant visa is available to a beneficiary who, in the three years preceding the filing of the
petition, has been employed outside the United States for at least one year in a managerial or executive
capacity, and seeks to enter the United States in order to continue to render managerial or executive
services to the same employer or to its subsidiary or affiliate. Section 203(b )(1 )(C) of the Act.
The Form 1-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker , must include a statement from an authorized
official of the petitioning United States employer which demonstrates that the beneficiary has been
employed abroad in a managerial or executive capacity for at least one year in the three years preceding
the filing of the petition, that the beneficiary is coming to work in the United States for the same
employer or a subsidiary or affiliate of the foreign employer, and that the prospective U.S. employer
has been doing business for at least one year. See 8 C.F.R . § 204 .5(i)(3) .
II. EMPLOYMENT OVERSEAS FOR ONE YEAR IN THE THREE YEARS PRECEDING
ENTRY AS A NONIMMIGRANT
The sole issue we will address is whether the Beneficiary was employed overseas for the required one
year in the three years preceding his entry into the United States as a nonimmigrant. The regulation
at 8 C.F.R. § 204 .5(i)(3)(i) states that the Petitioner must demonstrate that:
(B) If the alien is already in the United States working for the same employer or
a subsidiary or affiliate of the firm or corporation, or other legal entity by which
the alien was employed overseas, in the three years preceding entry as a nonimmigrant,
the alien was employed by the entity abroad for at least one year in a managerial
or executive capacity[ ... ]
In denying the petition on this ground, the Director pointed to United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) records listing the following arrivals and departures for the Beneficiary
during the three years preceding his entry into the United States as a LlA multinational executive or
manager nonimmigrant (LlA status) on January 29, 2017:
• December 7, 2013 ( arrival in B 1 nonimmigrant temporary business visitor status (B 1
status))
• April 12, 2014 (departure from the United States (departure))
• April 28, 2014 (arrival in Bl status)
• August 31, 2014 (departure)
• September 16, 2014 (arrival in Bl status)
• June 26, 2015 (departure)
• July 31, 2015 ( arrival in B2 nonimmigrant visitor status)
• November 16, 2015 (departure)
• December 5, 2015 (arrival in Bl status)
• May 22, 2016 (departure)
• June 1, 2016 ( arrival in B 1 status)
• July 24, 2016 (departure)
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• January 29, 2017 (arrival in LIA status)
In denying the petition, the Director pointed to these users records and concluded that the Beneficiary
had been in the United States "for [the] majority of time period [from] January 29, 2014 through
January 29, 2017." The Director determined that the Beneficiary had not been "physically present at
the company abroad for a period of 365 days or more," and in turn, that he did not met the regulatory
requirement to have been employed overseas for at least one year in the three years preceding his entry
as a LlA nonimmigrant.
On appeal, the Petitioner states that the Beneficiary "had to stay for a longer period in the United
States" to form a subsidiary company and establish the foreign employer's sales office. The Petitioner
indicates that the Beneficiary was "required" to come to the United States on behalf of the foreign
employer "for auction and confirming purchase orders" and to "finalize purchase[ s] on behalf of the
parent company." The Petitioner points to the users Policy Memorandum PM-602-0167, Satisfj:ing
the L-1 I-Year Foreign Employment Requirement; Revisions to Chapter 32.3 of the Adjudicator's
Field Manual (AFM) 4 (Nov. 15, 2018) and asserts that this memorandum is not applicable to the
current matter since it was issued after the date the petition was filed in October 201 7. More
specifically, the Petitioner contends that this users policy memorandum "should not be applied to
this matter, as it will be detrimental to this I-140 [petition] ... as the earlier Immigration rules and
regulations were applicable when this petition was filed." Lastly, the Petitioner states that the
Beneficiary "had a legitimate reason for the long stay ... which users should take into consideration,
as it was not in his control."
First, the Petitioner does not clearly discuss on appeal what impact, in any, the mentioned users
Policy Memorandum has on the current matter as this memorandum provides guidance related to L-1
nonimmigrant petitions, not the immigrant petition at issue in this matter. Id. Further, the Petitioner
does not articulate "what earlier Immigration rules and regulations were applicable when this petition
was filed," nor how the submitted evidence establishes the Beneficiary's required one year of foreign
employment overseas in the qualifying three period from January 29, 2014 through January 29, 2017.
The applicable regulations are clear, the Petitioner must demonstrate that the Beneficiary was
employed "overseas [emphasis added]" for one year in the three years preceding his entry as a LlA
nonimmigrant. As such, the time the Beneficiary spent in the United States, even if performing duties
for the foreign employer, does not count towards the minimally required one year of foreign
employment overseas during the applicable three-year qualifying period. See 8 e.F.R. §
204.5(j)(3)(i)(B).
users records, which the Petitioner does not dispute, clearly reflect that the Beneficiary was not
employed overseas for the required one year in the three years preceding his entry as a LIA
nonimmigrant. As noted by the Director, users records show that the Beneficiary spent far less than
one year abroad during the qualifying three-year period. Specifically, the Beneficiary spent 893 days
in the United States in Bl/B2 nonimmigrant status and only 272 days overseas from January 29, 2014
through January 29, 201 7. Although we appreciate that the Beneficiary may have had legitimate
business reasons to be in the United States for well over 800 days during the three-year qualifying
foreign employment period, these reasons or whether they were under the Beneficiary's "control" do
not absolve the Petitioner from fulfilling an explicit regulatory requirement to demonstrate his
eligibility for the benefit sought.
3
Therefore, we agree with the Director's conclusion that the Petitioner did not establish that the
Beneficiary was employed overseas as an executive or manager for the required one year in the three
years preceding his entry as an LIA nonimmigrant.
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed.
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