dismissed EB-2 NIW Case: Aeronautics And Astronautics

identifyingdatadeletedto
preventclearlyunwarranted
invasionofpersonalprivacy
PUBLICCOPY
U.S.Department of HomelandSecurity
U.S.CitizenshipandImmigrationService
AdministrativeAppealsOffice(AAO)
20 MassachuseusAve.,N.W.,MS2090
Washinson,DC 20529-2090
U.S.Citizenship
and Imrnigration
Services
DATE: Office: NEBRASKASERVICECENTER FILE:
IN RE: Petitioner:
Beneficiary:
PETITION: ImmigrantPetition for Alien Worker as a Memberof the ProfessionsHolding an
AdvancedDegreeor anAlien of ExceptionalAbility Pursuantto Section203(b)(2)of the
ImmigrationandNationalityAct, 8U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(2)
ONBEHALFOFPETITIONER:
SELF-REPRESENTED
INSTRUCTIONS:
Enclosedpleasefind the decision of the Administrative Appeals Office in your case. All of the
documentsrelatedto this matterhavebeenreturnedto theoffice thatoriginally decidedyour case.Please
beadvisedthatanyfurtherinquiry thatyoumighthaveconcerningyourcasemustbemadeto thatoffice.
If you believethe law wasinappropriatelyappliedby us in reachingour decision,or you haveadditional
informationthat you wishto haveconsidered,you mayfile a motionto reconsideror a motionto reopen.
Thespecificrequirementsfor filing sucha requestcanbefoundat 8 C.F.R.§ 103.5.All motionsmustbe
submittedto the office that originally decidedyour caseby filing a Form I-290B, Notice of Appealor
Motion, with a feeof $630. Pleasebeawarethat 8 C.F.R.§ 103.5(a)(1)(i)requiresthatanymotionmust
befiled within 30daysof thedecisionthatthemotionseeksto reconsideror reopen.
Thankyou,
PerryRhew
Chief,AdministrativeAppealsOffice
www.uscas.gov
Page2
DISCUSSION: The employment-basedimmigrantvisa petition was deniedby the Director,
NebraskaServiceCenter,andis now beforetheAdministrativeAppealsOffice (AAO) on appeal.
Theappealwill bedismissed.
This petition,filed on September28, 2009,seeksto classifythe petitionerpursuantto section
203(b)(2)of theImmigrationandNationalityAct (theAct), 8 U.S.C.§ ll53(b)(2), asa memberof
theprofessionsholdinganadvanceddegree.'Thepetitionerassertsthat an exemptionfrom the
requirementof a job offer, andthus of a labor certification,is in the nationalinterestof the
UnitedStates.Thedirectorfoundthatthepetitionerqualifiesfor classificationasa memberof
the professionsholding an advanceddegree,but that the petitionerhasnot establishedthat an
exemptionfrom therequirementof ajob offer wouldbe in thenationalinterestof theUnited
States.
On appeal,the petitionerarguesthat the recommendationletterssubmittedby his colleagues
demonstrate"unusualinterest"in hiswork,andthushequalifiesfor theclassificationsought.For
thereasonsdiscussedbelow,theAAO will upholdthedirector'sdecision.
Section203(b)of theAct statesin pertinentpartthat:
(2) Aliens who aremembersof the professionsholdingadvanceddegreesor aliensof
exceptionalability.--
(A) In general.- Visasshallbemadeavailable. . . to qualifiedimmigrantswhoare
membersof the professionsholdingadvanceddegreesor their equivalentor who
becauseof their exceptional ability in the sciences,arts, or business,will
substantiallybenefitprospectivelythe nationaleconomy,culturalor educational
interests,or welfareof theUnitedStates,andwhoseservicesin thesciences,arts,
professions,orbusinessaresoughtbyanemployerin theUnitedStates.
(B) Waiverofjob offer.
(i) . . . theAttorneyGeneralmay,whentheAttorneyGeneraldeems
it to be in the national interest, waive the requirementsof
subparagraph(A) that an alien's servicesin the sciences,arts,
professions,or businessbe soughtby an employerin the United
States.
The petitionerreceivedhis Masterof Sciencedegreein Aeronauticsand Astronauticsfrom
in 2009anda degreein
2005. Thedirectorfoundthatthepetitioner
n advanceddegree.Thesoleissuein contention
Accordingto informationontheFormI-140,ImmigrantPetitionfor Alien Worker,thepetitionerwaslastadmitted
to theUnitedStateson August30,2006asanF-1nonimmigrantstudent.
Page3
is whetherthepetitionerhasestablishedthatawaiverof thejob offerrequirement,andthusa labor
certification,is in thenationalinterest.
Neither the statutenor pertinentregulationsdefine the term "national interest." Additionally,
Congressdid not providea specificdefinition of the phrase,"in the nationalinterest." The
CommitteeontheJudiciarymerelynotedin itsreportto theSenatethatthecommitteehad"focused
on nationalinterestby increasingthe numberandproportionof visasfor immigrantswho would
benefittheUnitedStateseconomicallyandotherwise.. . ." S.Rep.No.55,101stCong.,1stSess.,
11(1989).
A supplementarynoticeregardingthe regulationsimplementingthe ImmigrationAct of 1990
(IMMACT),publishedat56Fed.Reg.60897,60900(November29,1991),states,inpertinentpart:
TheServicebelievesit appropriatetoleavetheapplicationof thistestasflexibleaspossible,
althoughclearly an alien seekingto meetthe [nationalinterest]standardmust make a
showingsignificantlyabovethat necessaryto prove the "prospectivenationalbenefit"
[requiredof aliensseekingto qualifyas"exceptional."]Theburdenwill restwith thealien
to establishthatexemptionfrom,or waiverof, thejob offerwill bein thenationalinterest.
Eachcaseistobejudgedonitsownmerits.
Matter of New York StateDep't. of Transp.,22 I&N Dec. 215, 217-18 (Comm'r. 1998)
(hereinafter"NYSDOT'),hassetforthseveralfactorswhichmustbeconsideredwhenevaluatinga
requestfor anationalinterestwaiver. First,it mustbeshownthatthealienseeksemploymentin an
areaof substantialintrinsicmerit. Id. at217. Next,it mustbeshownthattheproposedbenefitwill
benationalin scope.Id. Finally,thepetitionerseekingthewaivermustestablishthatthealienwill
servethe nationalinterestto a substantiallygreaterdegreethanwould an availableU.S.worker
havingthesameminimumqualifications.Id. at217-18.
It mustbe notedthat,while the nationalinterestwaiverhingeson prospectivenationalbenefit,it
clearlymustbeestablishedthatthealien'spastrecordjustifiesprojectionsof futurebenefitto the
nationalinterest.Id. at 219. Thepetitioner'ssubjectiveassurancethat.thealienwill, in thefuture,
servethenationalinterestcannotsufficeto establishprospectivenationalbenefit. Theinclusionof
the term "prospective"is usedhereto requirefuture contributionsby the alien,ratherthanto
facilitatethe entryof an alienwith no demonstrableprior achievements,andwhosebenefitto the
nationalinterestwould thusbeentirelyspeculative.Id.
TheAAO alsonotesthattheregulationat 8 C.F.R.§ 204.5(k)(2)defines"exceptionalability" as
"a degreeof expertise significantly above that ordinarily encountered"in a given area of
endeavor. By statute,aliensof exceptionalability aregenerallysubjectto thejob offer/labor
certificationrequirement;theyarenot exemptby virtue of their exceptionalability. Therefore,
whetheragivenalienseeksclassificationasanalienof exceptionalability, or asamemberof the
professionsholding an advanceddegree,that alien cannot qualify for a waiver just by
demonstratinga degreeof expertisesignificantly abovethat ordinarily encounteredin his or her
field of expertise.
Page4
The AAO concurswith the director's finding that the petitioner'swork is in an areaof intrinsic
merit, astronauticalandspacesystemsengineering,andthattheproposedbenefitsof his work,
advancingthe understandingof andutilization of spacesystems,would be nationalin scope. It
remains,then,to determinewhetherthepetitionerwill benefitthe nationalinterestto a greater
extentthananavailableU.S.workerwith thesameminimum qualifications.
Eligibility for the waivermustrest with the alien's own qualificationsratherthan with the
positionsought. In otherwords,theAAO generallydoesnot acceptthe argumentthat a given
projectis so importantthat any alien qualifiedto work on this projectmustalsoqualify for a
nationalinterestwaiver. Id. at 218. Moreover,it cannotsufficeto statethatthealienpossesses
useful skills, or a "unique background." Specialor unusualknowledgeor training does not
inherentlymeetthenationalinterestthreshold.Theissueof whethersimilarly-trainedworkers
areavailablein theUnitedStatesis anissueunderthejurisdictionof theDepartmentof Labor.
Id. at221.
At issueis whetherthis petitioner's contributionsin the field areof suchunusualsignificance
thatthepetitionermeritsthespecialbenefitof anationalinterestwaiver,overandabovethevisa
classificationhe seeks. By seekingan extrabenefit,thepetitionerassumesan extraburdenof
proof. A petitioner must demonstratea past history of achievementwith some degreeof
influenceon thefield asa whole. Id. at 219,n. 6. In evaluatingthepetitioner'sachievements,
the AAO notesthat original innovation,suchas demonstratedby a patent,is insufficientby
itself. Whetherthespecificinnovationservesthenationalinterestmustbedecidedon a case-by-
casebasis. Id. at221,n. 7.
Along with threeresearchpaperssubmittedfor publication,anarticlepresentedat the American
Instituteof Aeronauticsand Astronautics(AIAA) Space2007 Conference& Exposition,his
educationalqualifications,and other documentationpertainingto his accomplishments,the
petitioner submittedlettersof supportdiscussinghis M.S. researchunderthe supervisionof
and and
tates:
Throughouthis enrollmentat [the petitioner]hasprovedhimself to be a highly
intelligent, competent,and tenaciousyoung researchengineer,both in his Research
Assistantshipsandhis academicundertakings.I havebeenhis advisorandalsohis thesis
researchsupervisor.
* * *
Herearesomeof hisresearchcontributions:
Page5
•Spacecraft Design-for-Demise Strategy, Analysis and Impact on LEO NASA Space
MissionsIntentionallydesigningspacemissionsthatwill reentertheEarthatmospherein
an uncontrolled manner to strictly comply with stipulated Earth atmospheric
reentryrequirementsis a novelobjectivecurrentlygainingmomentumwithin the space
community.An uncontrolledreentrymissionthatcompletelyablates(demises)doesnot
require a provision for integratedcontrolled reentrycapability. Consequently,not only
will such a mission design be relatively simpler and cheaper, but also mission
unavailabilityrisk due to a controlledreentrysubsystemfailure is eliminated,which
i rovesmissionon-orbitreliability androbustness.With fundingprovidedby
and in collaborationwith the department,
[the petitioner]conductedresearchon this subjectfor oneandhalf years.His research
producedthefollowing findings:
o A proposalfor a novel spacemissionlife-cycle phase-by-phaseimplementation
strategyfor designingmissionsto demise,
o A detailed procedureto executethe Design-for-Demise(DfD) activities m a
particular missionlife-cycle phaseto ascertaincontinuousthoroughengagement
of DfD practicesin missiondevelopmentandexecution.
o A criticalpartsidentificationplanthathingeson decomposingthespacecraftinto
individualpartsviaasubsystemshierarchicalsubdivisionapproach.
o A DfD decision-makingmethodologyreferredto asAnalyticDeliberativeProcess
decision-makingprocessto facilitatethedecisionto designa spacecraftto demise
for anuncontrolledatmosphericreentrypost-missiondisposaloption.
o Demonstrationof DfD limitationsandtrade-offsusingthepropulsionandpower
spacecraftsubsystemsasillustrativecases.
o Moreover, [the petitioner]'s research proposed specific spacecrafthardware
alterationmethodsto achievedemisability;demonstratedthe applicationof
reentrydemisabilityanalysisandinterpretationof thesoftwareanalysistools;and
documentedlimitations of the currenthigh-level eentrysoftwareanalysis
tool referredto asDebrisAnalysisSoftware(DAS).
Exciting findings and proposalsfrom this scrutiny of all major aspectsrelated to
designingspacecraftto demisehavebeensubmittedin two full-length manuscriptsfor
publicationin theAIAA Journalof SpacecraftandRockets.Thesefindingswill serveto
stimulatea wholesomestructuredinsightinto spacecraftDfD by andthe space
industryworldwide.
The petitioner's researchmanuscriptspublishedafter September28, 2009 do not constitute
evidencethat his findings were already influential as of that date. The petitioner must
demonstratehis eligibility asof the filing date. See8C.F.R.§§103.2(b)(1),(12); Matter of
Katigbak,14I&N Dec.45,49 (Reg'l.Comm'r.1971). In this matter,thatmeansthathe must
demonstratehis track recordof successwith somedegreeof influenceon the field asa whole as
of thatdate. All of thecaselaw onthisissuefocusesonthepolicyof preventingpetitionersfrom
securingaprioritydatein thehopethattheywill subsequentlybeableto demonstrateeligibility.
Page6
Matterof Wing's TeaHouse,16I&N Dec.158,160(Reg'l.Comm'r.1977);MatterofKatigbak,14
I&N Dec.at 49; seealsoMatter of Izummi,22 I&N Dec. 169, 175-76(Comm'r. 1998)(citing
Matter of Bardouille, 18 I&N Dec. 114 (BIA 1981)for the propositionthat USCIS cannot
"considerfactsthatcomeintobeingonly subsequentto thefiling of apetition.") Consistentwith
thesedecisions,a petitioner cannot securea priority date in the hope that his as of yet
unpublishedresearchwill subsequentlyproveinfluential. Ultimately,in orderto be meritorious
in fact,apetitionmustmeetthestatutoryandregulatoryrequirementsfor approvalasof thedate
it wasfiled. Ogundipev.Mukasey,541F.3d257,261(4thCir. 2008).Accordingly,manuscripts
by thepetitionerthatwerenotpublishedasof thedateof filing and,thus,hadnotbeensubjectto
peerreview and disseminatedin the field as of that date,cannotestablisheligibility for the
waiverasof thedateof filing. To hold otherwisewouldhavethe untenableresultof an alien
securinga prioritydatebasedon thespeculationthathisworkmightproveinfluentialwhilethe
petitionispending.
contmues:
• [The petitioner]has also conductedresearchon transformationthe normally non-
linear and singular relative spacecraftdynamics modeling into linear and regular
dynamicsusing KS-CanonicalTransformationtechniques.If thesedynamicsare
successfullyrepresentedin thedesiredform, theerrorsdueto thetraditionalJacobean
linearization approximationtechniqueswill be eliminated. Though I was not his
researchsupervisoron this problem,I am awarethat [the petitioner]has covered
significantresearchgroundandthata successfuldemonstrationof this techniquewill
significantlyimproveorbital motionrepresentationandcontrollerdesign.He should
begivenanopportunityto continuewith thiseffort.
• I servedasanadvisoron an and
projectin which [the petitioner]participatedasoneof the researchteammembers.
The projectinvolvedthe analysis,optimization,andtradestudiesfor interplanetary
spacemissionsinvolving multiple sortiesandspacedestinations.He wasan impact
teamplayer who played an importantrole in the successfultestingof the software
applicationdevelopedaccordingto IEEE 829softwaretestingstandard.
While the researchthe petitioner conductedunderthe direction of is no doubt of
value,it canbe arguedthatanyresearchmustbe shownto beoriginal andpresentsomebenefitif
it is to receive funding and attention from the scientific community. Any graduate or
postdoctoralresearch,in order to be acceptedfor graduation,publication,presentation,or
funding,mustoffer newandusefulinformationto thepool of knowledge. It doesnot follow that
every graduatestudent who performs original researchthat adds to the general pool of
knowledgeinherentlyservesthe nationalinterestto an extentthatjustifies a waiverof thejob
offer requirement.
states:
I havebeen[the petitioner's] researchadvisorduring the investigationhe conductedon
establishinga sustainablespacesectorin Kenya.
* * *
[The petitioner] undertook a novel researchin technology and innovation policy by
investigatingtheestablishmentof anentirespacesectorin a developingcountry-Kenya.
This subjecthadneverbeeninvestigatedfrom this anglebeforeandtheresultshaveso
far generateda lot of excitementboth in Kenya and the U.S. StateDepartment.. . .
Thougha numberof authorshaveproposedgenericapproachesto establishinga space
industry in a developingcountry,noneof theseapproachesis specificto a particular
developingcountry.. . . While examiningKenya'scase,[the petitioner]exhaustively
investigatedwhy Kenya needsa vibrant domesticspacesector; the challengesin
establishinga local spacesector;and,lessonsfrom otherspaceprogramsin industrially
developingcountries.He then proposeda chronologicalphase-by-phasetechnological
capabilityevolutionfor theKenyaspacesector;and,thesectororganizationalframework
detailingthefunctionsof constituentframeworkelements.He furtheridentifiedKenya's
priority areasas:graspingsatelliteengineering;Earthobservation;and,acquiringlaunch
capability.Moreover,he expoundedon the significanceof partnershipsfor technology
transferandregionaldevelopment.[Thepetitioner's]researchhasbeendocumentedand
is aboutto besubmittedto theprestigiousglobalizationandtechnologyjournal asa full-
lengthpaperfor publication.This work will not only guideKenyain establishinga space
sectorbut otherdevelopingcountrieswith similar challengeswill definitely benefit from
thelevelof detailinvolved.
* * *
[Thepetitioner's]researchon establishmentandutilizationof spacebasedtechnologyfor
sustainabledevelopmentin KenyadirectlysupportstheU.S.StateDepartmentobjectives
by explainingspacesectoraspectsthe statedepartmentcanexploit to meetits foreign
cooperationobjectives.It is no wonder that his work has beenwarmly received.His
Kenyan backgroundcoupled with world-classtraining and experiencein the Western
spacetechnology arenamakeshim a valuable assetfor the U.S. government. Moreover,
his novelresearchdistinguisheshis abilitiesasrare.
assertsthatthepetitioner'swork has"generateda lot of excitementbothin Kenyaand
theU.S. StateDepartment,"but thereis no evidence(suchasanofficial letterof supportfrom an
authorizedrepresentativeof the U.S. StateDepartment)indicatingthatthepetitioner'sproposals
haveactuallybeenimplementedin thefield. Further,regarding commentsaboutthe
petitioner's training and experiencein spacetechnology,it cannotsuffice to state that the
petitionerpossessesusefulskills, or a "uniquebackground."Specialor unusualknowledgeor
trainingdoesnot inherentlymeetthenationalinterestthreshold.Theissueof whethersimilarly-
trainedworkersareavailablein theU.S.is anissueunderthejurisdiction of theDepartmentof
Labor. NYSDOT,22 I&N Dec.at221.
Page8
The directorrequestedfurtherevidencethatthe petitionerhadmet the guidelinespublishedin
NYSDOT. In response,the petitionersubmitteda letter written by him to USCIS,additional
letters of support,two e-mails from
contractedby theU.S.Departmentof State),"SpaceNetv1.3UsabilityTestDocumentation,"an
acknowledgementby the authorsof the SpaceNetv1.3 User'sGuidethat thepetitioner andfour
othersperformedtestingof SpaceNetv1.3,a self-servinglist of thepetitioner's"Cited Work &
Publications,"andmaterialidentifyingthepetitionerasa memberof the
While thepetitionerhelpedtestthe SpaceNet
v1.3 system(a frameworkandsoftwaretool) andservedbriefly asa memberof the
, thereis no evidenceshowingthat his
particularcontributionsontheseprojectshadanotableinfluenceonthefield aswhole.
The e-mailsfrom to the petitionerstatethat, in his capacityas a contractor,
cannotwrite a letter of recommendationon the petitioner'sbehalf. briefly
commentsthat the petitioner's work is "very interesting" and "potentially beneficial."
[Emphasisadded.] A petitioner,however,cannotfile a petitionunderthis classificationbased
solelyon theexpectationof futureeligibility. SeeMatter of Katigbak,14I&N Dec.at 49.
e-mail exchangeswith the petitionerdo not provide specific examplesof how the
petitioner'sworkhasalreadyimpactedthefield.
Thepetitionerstates:
Not
achievementsareindeedunprecedentedwhich put forward a strongcasefor a favorable
decision.
I havebeena recipientof severalawardswhich include for
academicexcellencewhile a
graduatefellowship awardwhile at and
while at Moreover,
throughout my entire stint at M I was a recipient of the graduate Research
Assistantship award every semester.This sequenceof awards undoubtedly portrays a
history of continuedrecognitionthatconsistentlydistinguishesmefrom my peers.
Aside from the petitioner's failure to submit documentaryevidence of his awards and
membershipsfrom the precedingorganizations,thereis no evidenceshowingthathis admission
to membership in the above organizationsand his receipt of the above awards required
significantresearchcontributionsin his field. Goingon recordwithoutsupportingdocumentary
evidenceis notsufficientfor purposesof meetingtheburdenof proofin theseproceedings.Matter
ofSoffici,22I&N Dec.158,165(Comm'r.1998)(citingMatterof TreasureCraftof Calißrnia,14
I&N Dec.190(Reg'l.Comm'r.1972)).With regardto theawardsandmembershipsclaimedby
the petitioner,the AAO notesthat recognitionfor achievementin one'sfield andprofessional
associationmembershipsrelate to the regulatorycriteria for classificationas an alien of
exceptional ability, a classification that normally requires an approved labor certification.
Page9
8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(ii). The AAO cannotconcludethat meetingone, two, or even the
requisitethreecriteriafor classificationasanalienof exceptionalability warrantsawaiverof the
laborcertificationrequirementin thenationalinterest.By statute,"exceptionalability" is not,by
itself sufficientcausefor a nationalinterestwaiver. NYSDOT,22 I&N Dec.at 218. Thus,the
benefitwhich thealienpresentsto his field of endeavormustgreatlyexceedthe"achievements
andsignificantcontributions"contemplatedfor thatclassification.Id.: seealsoid. at 222.
and a
In my positionasavisitingprofessoratthe
in the fall of 2006, [the petitioner]workedwith me whenhe was a graduatestudent,
participatingin anengineeringdesignprojectto developamethodfor returninga sample
from the surfaceof the planetMars, utilizing rocket propellantmanufacturedfrom the
Martian atmosphere.Thework doneby [thepetitioner]in this projectwasof high quality,
andwas(andstill is) of exceptionalinterestto thedevelopmentof spaceexploration.The
work resultedin severalpaperspublishedin peer-reviewedaerospaceconferences.
Although statesthat the petitioner's "work resultedin severalpaperspublishedin
peer-reviewedaerospaceconferences,"the evidencesubmittedby the petitioner includes
evidenceof only one conferencepaperby the petitionerand six coauthorspresentedat the
Space 2007 Conference&
Exposition. The documentationsubmittedby the petitionerdoesnot establishthat the petitioner
had publishedany other papersin peer-reviewedaerospaceconferencesas of the petition's
September28, 2009 filing date. As previouslydiscussed,a petitionermust establishhis
eligibility at thetime of filing. 8 C.F.R.§§ 103.2(b)(1),(12);Matter of Katigbak,14I&N Dec.
at 49. Further, there is no evidenceshowing that the findings presentedby the petitioner's
researchteamat the AIAA Space2007Conference& Expositionhavebeenfrequentlycited or
haveotherwiseinfluencedthefield asawhole.
The petitioner's responseincluded a documententitled "Cited Work & Publications,"but the
sourceof the threecitationscompiledby the petitionerin the documentis not identified. Rather
than submittingevidenceof citation recordsoriginatingfrom an official source(such as an
online scientific database)or copiesof the actual articlesreferencinghis work, the petitioner
insteadsubmitted a self-servinglist of three articles purportedly citing to his body of work.
USCISneednot rely on self-servingdocumentation.2Further,aspreviouslydiscussed,goingon
record without supportingdocumentaryevidenceis not sufficient for purposesof meetingthe
burdenof proofin theseproceedings.Matterof Soffici,22I&N Dec.at 165. Evenif theAAO
acceptedthepetitioner'sself-servinglist showinganaggregateof threecitesto hisbodyof work,no
2SeeBragav.Poulos,No.CV065105SJO(C.D.CAJuly6,2007)aff'd2009WL 604888(9* Cir.2009)(concluding
thattheAAO did nothaveto rely on self-servingassertionsonthecoverof a magazineasto themagazine'sstatusas
majormedia).
Page10
singlearticleby thepetitionerhasgarneredmorethantwo citations. Ultimately,thelimited number
of citationstothepetitioner'sarticlesisnotindicativeof anotableinfluencein thefield.
contmues:
[The petitioner] has shown exceptionaltalent and madetechnicalcontributions in the
engineeringof spacesystems.Theseinclude participatingin the designof a space
missionto retrieveaMartiansoil sampleandreturnit to Earthby utilizingtheavailable
Martianatmosphereasa resourcefor productionof fuel, andin designingspacecraftto
safely re-enter the Earth atmospherewithout production of debris or hazardsto the
ground.The issueof designingspacemissionsthat reenterthe earth atmosphereto
completelyablatedespitethe natureof the spacecraftis a crucial one indeed,and
currentlybeingduly investigatedby amongotherspaceagenciesglobally.
Theseprojectsareof significantinteresttM
* * *
[The petitioner's] researchhasresultedin a numberof paperspublishedin professional
conferences,and in the submissionof two full-length papersto refereedtechnical
journals.
* * *
The design of spacecraftto utilize the resourceson Mars to reducethe cost and
complexity of spacemissionsis a significanttechnicalproblembeing addressedby
in its explorationmission,andWaswa'swork on this subjecthascontributedto
mission.
Thereis no documentarevidenceindicatingthatthespacesystemsengineeredby thepetitioner
havebeenutilized by for its spacemissionsor havebeensuccessfullyappliedby other
researchengineersin their work. Further, there is no evidenceshowing that the petitioner's
researchfindings have been frequently cited by independentscholars or have otherwise
influencedthefield asawhole.
states:
[Thepetitionerlundertookaholistic investigationon how to designuncontrolledreentry
spacemissionsby simply makingthemdemisable- i.e. to completelyablateduringthe
harshthermoaerodynamicreentryphase.His researchhingeson a guaranteedadherence
to strictly stipulated earthatmosphericreentryguidelineswithout incorporating
thetraditionallycostlyreentrysubsystem.Sucha missionwouldbe relativelysimpler;
hence,not only cheaperbut alsopossessimprovedon-orbit reliability and robustness.
Pagei1
Up-to-date,no demisablemissionhas beendesignedand launchedwhich makeshis
researchextremelyessentialto this countrybecauseNASA is presentlyengagedin this
subject. Consequently,[the petitioner's] work has made numerous outstanding
contributionsin this nascentarea.[The petitioner's] researchfocusedon spacecraft
subsystemsdesign-for-demisetrade-offs, ablation analyses and limitations; and,
spacecraftdesign-for-demiseimplementationstrategyanddecision-makingmethodology
foMLow-Earth-Orbit Missions.
[The petitioner]detailedmodificationmethodsfor specificspacecrafthardwarepartsto
achievedemisability;and, demonstratedthe limitations and trade-offsof designing
spacecraftfor demise using two spacecraftsubsystems- propulsion and power
subsystems.Moreover, using currently availablereentry softwareanalysistools, he
demonstratedtheapplicationof reentryanalysisfor design-for-demiseandinterpretation
of theresults.He alsoaddedto thedocumentationof thelimitationsof thecurrenthigh
level reentry softwareanalysistool referredto as Debris Analysis Software
(DAS).
He developeda techniqueto systematicallyidentify andisolateexhaustivelythoseparts
in a spacecraftthat arelikely to contributemajorly towardsthe spacecraftsurvivingthe
reentry ablation processand eventually impact earth's surface.Consequently,this
technique will facilitate the expeditiousisolation and re-design of these critical
components.
His researchproposed a decision making methodology referred to as
decisionmakingprocessto facilitatethedecision-makingprocessin
designinganuncontrolledatmosphericreentryspacemissionto demise.[Thepetitioner]
further proposeda fresh spacemission phase-by-phaseimplementationstrategy that
spansthe entire mission life-cycle which guaranteesa comprehensivetreatmentto
achievea demisablespacemission.To complementthis implementationstrategy,[the
petitioner] also recommendeda novel detailed procedureto executethe design-for-
demiseactivitiesin a particularphaseof the missionlife-cycleto ascertaina sustained
methodicalemploymentof design-for-demisepracticesin spacemissiondevelopment
andexecution.[Thepetitioner]hassubmittedhis work for publicationin two manuscripts
thataddress- spacecraftDesign-for-Demisestrategy,analysisandimpacton
spacemissions.
While cross-registeredat [the petitioner]
researchedon spacetechnologyandinnovationpolicy focusingon establishinganentire
spacesectorfrom scratchfor sustainabledevelopmentin a developingcountry.In this
ground-brakingresearch,[thepetitioner]detailedhow developingcountriescaninitiate,
developand employ spacetechnologyto expeditiouslyaddressfundamentalnational
developmentalneedssuchas;health,education,food security,environmentalandnatural
resourcemanagement.By focusingon a particular developingcountry; Kenya, [the
petitioner's]work unprecedentedlytackledthis subjectin aholisticmanner.Heproposed
Page12
a chronological,phase-by-phasespacetechnologycapability evolution; the fledgling
sectororganizationalframeworkdetailingtherolesof constituentelements;he identified
Kenya'sspacesectorpriority areas;and,expoundedon the significanceof partnerships
for technologytransfer and regional development.Though focused on industrially
developingcountries,thiswork is extremelyimportantto theinterestof theUnitedStates
foreignassistanceobjectivesmeantto respondto globalneedsthroughagencieslike the
StateDepartmentandUSAID.
Another aeronauticalengineeringareathat [thepetitioner]hasmadeoutstandingnational
contribution is in designingspacemissionsthat retrievesamplesfrom otherplanetse. .
Marsandsafelyreturnthemto earth.Suchmissionshaveincessantlypreoccupied
and the astronauticalscientific community at large. In collaboration with other
colleagues,[the petitioner's] researchproposedhow to retrievea Martian sampleby
using resourcesfrom the planetto constitutepart of the propulsionelements.This is
practicereferredto as In-Situ ResourceUtilization proposesways that samplereturn
missionscanberelativelyefficientlyandcost-effectivelyundertaken.Hewasresponsible
for designingoptimal orbital trajectoriesfor themissionandthesamplereturnspacecraft.
repeatsthe information providedin letter. The
AAO notes that, accor mg to t e petitioner's Form ETA-750B, the petitioner worked as a
visitingresearcheratthe in 2005.
The lettersfrom and do not provide specificexamplesof how the
petitioner'stechniqueto systematicallyidentify spacecraftpartslikely to contributeto spacecraft
survivalduringthereentryablationprocessis beingutilizedby or is beingappliedby
othersin the field. Further,thereis no evidencedemonstratingthat the petitioner'sAnalytic
DeliberativeProcessdecisionmakingprocess,his phase-by-phaseimplementationstrategythat
spanstheentiremissionlife-cycle, or his procedureto executethedesign-for-demiseactivitiesin
aparticularphaseof themissionlife-cyclehavebeenutilizedby anyspacemissions.Moreover,
thepetitionerhasnot submitteddocumentaryevidenceindicatingthathis DfD methodologiesor
his policies for spacetechnologycapabilityevolution in developingcountrieshave been
frequentlycitedorhaveotherwiseimpactedthefield.
Thedirectordeniedthepetitionfinding thatthepetitionerfailedto establishthata waiverof the
requirementof an approvedlabor certification would be in the national interestof the United
States. The director statedthat the petitioner had not submittedevidencedocumenting"an
impactin thefield" ordistinguishinghisworkfromthatof hispeers.
On appeal,thepetitionerarguesthatthedirectorerredin thedenyingthepetitionbasedon his
"number of publications" and "minimal citation record." The AAO acknowledgesthat
independentcitationsarenot the only meansby which to showthe petitioner'simpacton his
field. Independentwitnessletterscanplay a significantrole in this respect.Here,however,the
petitionerhassubmittedreferenceletterslimited to his academicadvisorsandto individuals
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affiliated with institutionswherehehasstudiedor worked. While suchlettersareimportantin
providing details about the petitioner'srole in variousprojects,they cannotby themselves
establishhis influencebeyondhis institutionsandoverthefield asa whole. Moreover,simply
listing thepetitioner'snovelresearchfindingscannotsufficein this regard,becauseall graduate
studentsarearguablyexpectedto produceoriginalwork.
The opinionsof expertsin the field arenot without weight andhavebeenconsideredabove.
USCISmay,in its discretion,useasadvisoryopinionsstatementssubmittedasexperttestimony.
SeeMatter of CaronInternational,19I&N Dec.791,795(Comm'r. 1988). However,USCISis
ultimatelyresponsiblefor makingthefinal determinationregardinganalien'seligibility for the
benefit sought. Id. The submissionof letters from experts supportingthe petition is not
presumptiveevidenceof eligibility; USCIS may evaluatethe contentof thoseletters as to
whethertheysupportthealien'seligibility. Seeid. at795-796;seealsoMatterof V-K-,24I&N
Dec.500,n.2(BIA 2008)(notingthatexpertopiniontestimonydoesnot purportto beevidence
as to "fact"). Thus,the contentof the experts'statementsandhow theybecameawareof the
petitioner'sreputationareimportantconsiderations.Even when written by independentexperts,
letters solicited by an alien in supportof an immigration petition are of less weight than
preexisting,independentevidencethat one would expectof a spacesystemsengineerwho has
influencedthefield asawhole.
While the petitionerhasperformedadmirablyon his researchprojectsat the
andthe hehas
notestablishedthathis pastrecordof achievementis ata levelthatwouldjustify a waiverof the
job offer requirementwhich, by law, normallyattachesto the visa classificationsoughtby the
petitioner. The AAO notesthat the petitionerneednot demonstratenotorietyon the scaleof
nationalacclaim,but thenationalinterestwaivercontemplatesthathis influencebe nationalin
scope.NYSDOT,22I&N Dec.at217n.3. Morespecifically,thepetitioner"mustclearlypresent
a significantbenefitto thefield of endeavor."Id. at 218. Seealsoid. at 219n.6(thealienmust
have"a pasthistory of demonstrableachievementwith somedegreeof influenceon thefield asa
whole.")
As is clearfrom a plain readingof the statute,it wasnot the intentof Congressthateveryalienof
exceptionalability shouldbeexemptfrom therequirementof ajob offer basedon nationalinterest.
Likewise,it doesnotappearto havebeentheintentof Congressto grantnationalinterestwaiverson
thebasisof theoverallimportanceof agivenoccupation,ratherthanon themeritsof theindividual
alien.Onthebasisof theevidencesubmitted,thepetitionerhasnotestablishedthatawaiverof the
requirementof an approvedalien employmentcertificationwill be in the nationalinterestof the
UnitedStates.
Theburdenof proof in theseproceedingsrestssolelywith thepetitioner.Section291of theAct,
8 U.S.C.§ 1361.Thepetitionerhasnotsustainedthatburden.
ORDER: Theappealis dismissed.