dismissed
EB-1C
dismissed EB-1C Case: Warehouse And Distribution
Decision Summary
The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish a qualifying relationship with the beneficiary's foreign employer. The petitioner, who claimed de facto control despite the foreign employer's minority ownership (34.32%), did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that the foreign entity actually controlled the U.S. company's ultimate parent.
Criteria Discussed
Qualifying Relationship Ownership And Control Subsidiary/Affiliate Relationship
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U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
In Re: 13669113
Appeal of Nebraska Service Center Decision
Non-Precedent Decision of the
Administrative Appeals Office
Date : MAR . 24, 2021
Form 1-140, Petition for Multinational Managers or Executives
The Petitioner, a warehouse and distribution center, seeks to permanently employ the Beneficiary as
a business analytics director in the United States under the first preference immigrant classification
for multinational executives or managers . See Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act)
section 203(b)(l)(C), 8 U.S.C. ยง 1153(b)(l)(C).
The Director of the Nebraska Service Center denied the petition concluding that the Petitioner did not
establish that it had a qualifying relationship with the Beneficiary's former foreign employer. 1 On
appeal, the Petitioner asserts that it has submitted relevant, probative, and credible evidence
establishing a qualifying relationship between the Petitioner and the foreign employer.
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. ยง 1361. Upon de nova review, we will dismiss the appeal.
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 . ยง 204.5(j)(3).
1 The Director also concluded that because the Petitioner had not established a qualifying relationship with the
Beneficiary 's former foreign employer, the Petitioner had also not established the Beneficiary had one year of qualifying
employment for the same employer or a subsidiary or affiliate of the foreign employer, in the three years preceding entry
as a nonimmigrant. Thus, we find the sole issue to be addressed in this matter is the issue of the qualifying relationship
between the Petitioner and the Beneficiary 's former foreign employer.
II. ANALYSIS
Upon review of the record, we conclude that the Petitioner has not established a qualifying relationship
with the Beneficiary's former foreign employer.
To establish a qualifying relationship under the Act and the regulations, a petitioner must show that
the beneficiary's foreign employer and the proposed U.S. employer are the same employer (i.e., a U.S.
entity with a foreign office) or related as a "parent and subsidiary" or as "affiliates." See generally,
section 203(b)(l)(C) of the Act; 8 C.F.R. ยง 204.5(i)(3)(i)(C). The term "subsidiary" means a firm,
corporation, or other legal entity of which a parent owns, directly or indirectly, more than half of the
entity and controls the entity; or owns, directly or indirectly, half of the entity and controls the entity;
or owns, directly or indirectly, 50 percent of a 50-50 joint venture and has equal control and veto
power over the entity; or owns, directly or indirectly, less than half of the entity, but in fact controls
the entity. Id.
Regulation and case law confirm that ownership and control are the factors that must be examined in
determining whether a qualifying relationship exists between United States and foreign entities. See,
e.g., Matter of Church Scientology Int'!, 19 I&N Dec. 593 (Comm'r 1988); Matter of Siemens Med.
Sys., Inc., 19 I&N Dec. 362 (Comm'r 1986); Matter o_f Hughes, 18 I&N Dec. 289 (Comm'r 1982).
Ownership refers to the direct or indirect legal right of possession of the assets of an entity with foll
power and authority to control; control means the direct or indirect legal right and authority to direct
the establishment, management, and operations of an entity. Matter o_f Church Scientology Int 'l,
19 I&N Dec. at 595.
Petitioner claims that the Beneficiary's foreign employer is an investment company that controls
I O lwhich in tum has a majority ownership in and controls a subsidiary
company.I I which in tum has a majority ownership in and
controls the Petitioner. The Petitioner acknowledges that the Beneficiary's foreign employer owns
34.32 percent of I I (hereinafter subsidiary A) the entity that
ultimately owns and controls the Petitioner. The Petitioner asserts, however, that the foreign employer
controls the Petitioner through its partial ownership and de facto control of subsidiary A.
In her decision, the Director thoroughly discussed the Petitioner's evidence and concluded that the
Petitioner had not established de facto control of the Petitioner. The Director reviewed the pertinent
documents submitted by the Petitioner including the translated versions of subsidiary A's Articles of
Association, Abstract Annual Report for 2018, and 2019 Annual Audit Report, as well as various
nominations, resolutions, and announcements for subsidiary A's board of directors. The Director
found that these documents demonstrate that subsidiary A's shareholders, including the 65.68 percent
not owned by the Beneficiary's foreign employer, vote on relevant matters presented and can vote as
desired.
Upon consideration of the entire record, including the evidence submitted and arguments made on
appeal, we adopt and affirm the Director's decision with the comments below. See Matter of P. Singh,
Attorney, 26 I&N Dec. 623 (BIA 2015) (citing Matter of Burbano, 20 I&N Dec. 872,874 (BIA 1994));
see also Chen v. INS, 87 F.3d 5, 7-8 (1st Cir. 1996) ("[I]f a reviewing tribunal decides that the facts
and evaluative judgments prescinding from them have been adequately confronted and correctly
2
resolved by a trial judge or hearing officer, then the tribunal is free simply to adopt those findings"
provided the tribunal's order reflects individualized attention to the case).
In regard to the documents in the record we considered the Petitioner's assertions on appeal that these
documents state that the Beneficiary's foreign employer is the controlling shareholder of subsidiary A
and that an individual who owns an 11.24 percent of the foreign employer is the actual controlling
party. When reviewing the translated versions of these documents, the documents do not clearly
identify shares that may be voting or non-voting. For example, the 2018 Abstract of Annual Report
includes a graph, which describes the top ten shareholders 2 of subsidiary A. The remarks on this graph
indicate that "[t]he biggest shareholder is not related to the other shareholders in transaction," and that
"it is not known that there exists any kind of related transactions among any other public shareholders,
or there is any action in a concert that needs to be disclosed" according to ruling regulations. Thus,
subsidiary A's Abstract of the 2018 Annual Report does not identify any controlling entity or person
that could not be removed or restricted through the vote of the shareholders. The remarks acknowledge
that there are public shareholders that may or may not be acting in concert either for or against the
interests of the Beneficiary's foreign employer. The record does not include any evidence that the
Beneficiary's foreign employer has entered into proxy agreements or has the legal right to dictate the
votes of a majority of the shareholders. Similarly, although subsidiary A's 2019 Auditor's Report
states that the Beneficiary's foreign employer is the parent company and that one individual is the
controlling party, the record does not include evidence supporting these statements.
We note that it does not appear that complete translations of these documents were provided. Since
the Petitioner did not submit a foll English language certified translation of the documents, we cannot
determine whether the evidence supports the petitioner's claims. See 8 C .F.R. ยง 103 .2(b )(3 ).
Accordingly, the evidence is not probative and will not be accorded any weight in this proceeding.
Additionally, the record does not include stock certificates, stock registers or ledgers, or other
information identifying restrictions, if any, on particular types of issued shares. Thus, the record does
not include evidence demonstrating that the shareholders holding 65.68 or a portion thereof are
restricted from nominating a new board of directors, amending the articles of association, or
performing other actions that impinge on or eliminate any control the Beneficiary's foreign employer
may exercise over subsidiary A, the Petitioner's indirect parent company. Without evidence, such as
agreements or restrictions on voting shares, the Petitioner cannot demonstrate that the Beneficiary's
foreign employer exercises de facto control over subsidiary A. Accordingly, the record does not
establish the Petitioner's qualifying relationship with the Beneficiary's foreign employer.
2 These documents identify the Beneficiary's foreign employer as holding 34.32 percent of subsidiaiy A, the next nine
shareholders holding 31.99 percent of subsidiary A, and unidentified shareholders owning the remaining 33.69 percent of
subsidiary A.
3
III. CONCLUSION
The appeal will be dismissed for the above stated reason. In visa petition proceedings, it is the
petitioner's burden to establish eligibility for the immigration benefit sought. Section 291 of the Act,
8 U.S.C. ยง 1361. The Petitioner has not met that burden here, and the petition will remain denied.
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed.
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