dismissed EB-2 NIW

dismissed EB-2 NIW Case: Accounting

๐Ÿ“… Date unknown ๐Ÿ‘ค Individual ๐Ÿ“‚ Accounting

Decision Summary

The motion to reopen was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish proper grounds. The petitioner's initial appeal was summarily dismissed for lack of a supporting brief, and while the petitioner showed she had mailed a brief, she sent it to the wrong address (the Texas Service Center instead of the AAO), meaning it was not properly submitted as per regulations.

Criteria Discussed

Motion To Reopen Procedural Filing Requirements Timely Submission Of Brief

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View Full Decision Text
U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration 
Services 
Non-Precedent Decision of the
Administrative Appeals Office 
Date: DEC. 14, 2023 In Re: 29259228 
Motion on Administrative Appeals Office Decision 
Form 1-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (National Interest Waiver) 
The Petitioner, an accountant, seeks employment-based second preference (EB-2) immigrant 
classification as a member of the professions holding an advanced degree and an individual of 
exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business, as well as a national interest waiver of the job offer 
requirement attached to this classification. See Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act) 
section 203(b )(2), 8 U.S.C. ยง 1153(b )(2). 
The Acting Director of the Texas Service Center denied the petition, concluding that the Petitioner did 
not establish that a waiver of the classification's job offer requirement, and thus of the labor 
certification, would be in the national interest. 
The Acting Director denied the petition on January 20, 2023 . The Petitioner filed her appeal on 
February 22, 2023. The appeal did not include an explanation for the basis for the appeal, but the 
Petitioner checked a box on Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, stating, "My brief and/or 
additional evidence will be submitted to the AAO within 30 calendar days of filing the appeal." 
We summarily dismissed the appeal on June 20, 2023, stating, "To date we have not received your 
brief and or additional evidence." The matter is now before us on a motion to reopen. On motion, the 
Petitioner disputes this finding and submits a supplementary statement, along with evidence that she 
mailed the brief on March 13, 2023, and that the brief was received on March 17, 2023. 
A motion to reopen must state the new facts to be proved in the reopened proceeding and be supported 
by affidavits or other documentary evidence. 8 C.F.R. ยง 103.5(a)(2). The regulation at 8 C.F.R. ยง 
103.5(a)(l)(i) limits our authority to reopen to instances where the filing party has shown "proper 
cause" for that action. Thus, to merit reopening, a petitioner must not only meet the formal filing 
requirements (such as submission of a properly completed Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, 
with the correct fee), but also show proper cause for granting the motion. We cannot grant a motion 
that does not meet applicable requirements. See 8 C.F.R. ยง 103.5(a)(4). 
The Petitioner maintains that she timely submitted a brief in support of her appeal on March 17, 2023 . 
She provides a copy of her brief dated January 27, 2023, and a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mailing 
receipt and tracking information showing delivery of a package to the U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services (USCIS) Texas Service Center on March 17, 2023. 
The regulations require an affected party to submit the complete appeal including any supporting brief 
as indicated in the applicable form instructions within 30 days after service of the decision. 8 C.F.R. 
ยง 103.3(a)(2)(i). The record reflects that the Petitioner properly filed her Form I-290B and filing fee 
at the location designated by the form instructions and indicated it would file a brief and/or evidence 
with the AAO within 30 days. 
The form instructions to the Form I-290B instruct appellants who elect to submit a supplemental brief 
within 30 days of filing an appeal to mail the brief or additional evidence directly to the AAO. In this 
instance, the Petitioner mailed her brief to the Texas Service Center. The Petitioner sent her appeal 
statement to the wrong address which delayed its incorporation into the record. 
The record before us at the time we summarily dismissed the Petitioner's initial appeal in June 2023 
did not contain a brief or other statement specifically identifying an erroneous conclusion of law or 
statement of fact in the decision being appealed. Therefore, there was no error in summarily 
dismissing the appeal. While the new evidence submitted in support of this motion includes a copy 
of an appellate brief, the Petitioner has neither claimed nor presented evidence that the brief was 
properly submitted in accordance with the form instructions as required by 8 C.F.R. ยง 103.3(a)(2)(i). 
For the reasons discussed above, the Petitioner has not established proper grounds for reopening. As 
the Petitioner has not shown proper cause for reopening the appeal, we will not address her claims that 
the Acting Director denied the underlying petition in error. 
ORDER: The motion to reopen is dismissed. 
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