sustained EB-2 Case: Medicine

identifyingdatadeletedto
preventclearlyunwarranted
invasenof personalprivacy
PUBLICCOPY
U.S.Departmentof HomelandSecurity
U.S.Citizenshipand1mmigrationServices
AdministrativeAppealsOMce(AAO)
20 MassachusettsAve..N.W.. MS2090
Washington.DC20529-2090
U.S.Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
DATE: FEB 0 3 2012 OFFICE:TEXASSERVICECENTER FILE:
IN RE: Petitioner:
Beneficiary:
PETITION: ImmigrantPetitionfor Alien Workerasa Memberof theProfessionsHoldinganAdvanced
Degreeor anAlien of ExceptionalAbility Pursuantto Section203(b)(2)of theImmigration
andNationalityAct, 8 U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(2)
ON BEHALFOFPETITIONER:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Enclosedpleasefind the decisionof the AdministrativeAppealsOffice in your case. All of the documents
relatedto this matterhavebeenreturnedto the office that originally decidedyour case. Pleasebe advisedthat
any further inquiry that you might haveconcerningyour casemust be madeto that office.
Thankyou,
PerryRhew
Chief,AdministrativeAppealsOffice
www.uscus.gov
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DISCUSSION: Theemployment-basedimmigrantvisapetitionwasdeniedby theDirector,Texas
ServiceCenter(Director). It is now on appealbeforethe Chief, AdministrativeAppealsOffice
(AAO). Theappealwill besustained,andthepetitionapproved.
The petitioner is a hospital and medical researchcenter. It seeksto permanentlyemploy the
beneficiaryas a "Hospitalist at academicrank of AssistantProfessor"and to classify her as an
advanceddegreeprofessionalpursuantto section203(b)(2)of the ImmigrationandNationalityAct
(theAct), 8 U.S.C.§ 1153(b)(2). As requiredby statute,the petition is accompaniedby an ETA
Form 9089,Application for PermanentEmploymentCertification,approvedby the United States
Departmentof Labor(DOL).
As definedin theregulationat 8 C.F.R.§204.5(k)(2):
Advanceddegreemeansany United Statesacademicor professionaldegreeor a
foreignequivalentdegreeabovethatof baccalaureate.A UnitedStatesbaccalaureate
degreeor a foreign equivalentdegreefollowed by at leastfive yearsof progressive
experiencein thespecialtyshallbeconsideredtheequivalentof amaster'sdegree.If
a doctoraldegreeis customarilyrequiredby the specialty,the alien must havea
UnitedStatesdoctorateor a foreignequivalentdegree.
TheDirectordeniedthepetitiononthegroundthattheminimumeducationalrequirementsdescribed
on the laborcertification(ETA Form9089)werelessthanthoseof a master'sdegree,anddid not
matchthe educationalrequirementsspecifiedin the petitioner'sjob advertisements.The Director
determinedthat the evidenceof record did not show that the proffered position requiredan
individualwith anadvanceddegreeor a bachelor'sdegreeandfive yearsof progressiveexperience
in thespecialty.
Theappealis properlyfiled andtimely andmakesspecificallegationsof error in law or fact. The
AAO conductsappellatereviewon adenovobasis.SeeSoltanev.DOJ,381F.3d143,145(3dCir.
2004).
Thepetitionermustdemonstratethat,on thepriority date,thebeneficiaryhadthequalificationsstated
on its ETA Form9089,ascertifiedby theDOL andsubmittedwith theinstantpetition. SeeMatterof
Wing'sTeaHouse,16I&N Dec.158(Act. Reg.Comm.1977).Thepriority dateis thedatethelabor
certificationapplicationwasacceptedfor processingby anyofficewithin theemploymentsystemof the
DOL. See8 C.F.R.§ 204.5(d). In this casethe ETA Form9089wasacceptedfor processingby the
DOL onApril 14,2008.
Theeducation,training,andexperiencerequiredfor theprofferedpositionaresetforth in PartH of
the ETA Form9089. Lines4-A and4-B specifythat a first professionaldegreein the field of
medicineis requiredto qualify for thejob. Line 9 specifiesthata foreigneducationalequivalentis
acceptable. In addition, Box 14 lists three other requirementsthe beneficiarymust fulfill: (1)
eligibility for a medicallicensein the Stateof Arkansas,(2) BE/BC (boardeligible/boardcertified)
in InternalMedicine,and(3) completionof aresidencyprogramin internalmedicine.
Page3
The documentationof record showsthat the beneficiaryenteredGrant Medical Collegeat the
Universityof Mumbai,India, in August/September1997,completedhercourseworkanda seriesof
threeexaminationsby October1991,followedthat up with oneyearof rotatinginternshiptraining
from January2002until February2003,andwasawardedthe degreesof Bachelorof Medicineand
Bachelorof Surgeryon December19, 2003. Basedon the entirerecord- including information
from theElectronicDatabasefor GlobalEducation(EDGE),createdby theAmericanAssociationof
CollegiateRegistrarsandAdmissionsOfficers(AACRAO),indicatingthata Bachelorof Medicine/
Bachelorof Surgeryin Indiais awardeduponcompletionof 4.5to 5 yearsof tertiarystudyplusone
year of internshipbeyond the Higher SecondaryCertificate (equivalentto a U.S. high school
diploma), is comparableto a first professionaldegreein medicinein the United States,and is
equivalentto a U.S.Doctorof Medicine(M.D.) - theAAO determinesthatthebeneficiary'sIndian
degreesareequivalentto anM.D. in theUnitedStates.SinceanM.D. is a first professionaldegree
in medicinein theUnitedStates,the beneficiarymeetstheeducationalrequirementfor theproffered
position, as specified in Lines 4-A, 4-B, and 9 of the labor certification. Furthermore,the
beneficiary'sforeign medicaldegreemay qualify as an advanceddegreefor purposesof section
203(b)(2)of theAct.
TherecordalsoshowsthatthebeneficiarypassedtheUnitedStatesMedicalLicensingExamination
(Steps1,2,and3) betweenMarch21,2003andFebruary25,2004.
As for theotherjob requirementsspecifiedin Box 14of thelaborcertification,thedocumentationof
recordshowsthatthebeneficiaryfulfilled theseaswell beforethepriority dateof April 14,2008. In
particular,thebeneficiary-
completeda three-yearprogramasa residentin internalmedicineat Mount SinaiSchoolof
Medicineof New York UniversityfromJuly 1,2004to June30,2007,
wascertified by The AmericanBoardof InternalMedicineas a Diplomatein Internal
Medicinefor theten-yearperiodof 2007to 2017,and
E wasgranteda licenseto practicemedicineandsurgeryin the Stateof Arkansasby the
ArkansasStateMedicalBoardon October5,2007.
Thus,the beneficiarymeetsall of the educationalandotherrequirementsfor theprofferedposition,
as specifiedin the labor certification. Accordingly, the petitioner has overcomethe Director's
groundfor denial. TheDirector'sdecisionwill thereforebewithdrawn.
Theburdenof proofin theseproceedingsrestssolelywith thepetitioner.Seesection291of theAct,
8 U.S.C.§ 1361. Thepetitionerhasmet that burden.
ORDER: TheDirector'sdecisionof December4. 2008is withdrawn. Theappealis sustained.
Thepetitionisapproved.