dismissed EB-3

dismissed EB-3 Case: Physical Therapy

📅 Date unknown 👤 Company 📂 Physical Therapy

Decision Summary

The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to provide the required evidence at the time of filing. Specifically, there was no letter from the Texas state physical therapy licensing authority stating the beneficiary was qualified to take the state's licensing exam, a mandatory requirement for a Schedule A application. Post-filing evidence of eligibility to test in another state (California) was deemed insufficient as eligibility must be established when the petition is filed.

Criteria Discussed

Schedule A Labor Certification State Licensing Eligibility Professional Qualifications (Baccalaureate Degree) Notice Of Filing Requirements

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
20 Mass. Ave., N.W., Rm. 3000 
Washington, DC 20529 
U. S. Citizenship 
and Immigration 
Services 
PETITION: Immigrant petition for Alien Worker as a Skilled Worker or Professional pursuant to section 
203(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 8 1 153(b)(3) 
ON BEHALF OF PETITIONER: 
This is the decision of the Administrative Appeals Office in your case. All documents have been returned to 
the office that originally decided your case. Any further inquiry must be made to that office. 
Administrative Appeals Office 
DISCUSSION: The preference visa petition was denied by the Director, Texas Service Center, and is now 
before the Administrative Appeals Office on appeal. The appeal will be dismissed. 
The petitioner is a rehabilitation business organized as a corporation. 
 It seeks to employ the beneficiary 
permanently in the United States as a physical therapist. The petitioner asserts that the beneficiary qualifies for 
blanket labor certification pursuant to 20 C.F.R. 5 656.10(a), commonly referred to as Schedule A. The director 
determined that the petitioner has failed to establish that the beneficiary meets the requirements of 20 C.F.R. 
656.22(1)(~)(1). Specifically the director found that there was no a letter or statement signed by an authorized 
State physical therapy licensing official in the State of intended employment which is Texas, stating that the alien 
is qualified to take that State's written licensing examination for physical therapists, and, the beneficiary has not 
submitted evidence to show that she has already the necessary state license. The director denied the petition 
accordingly. 
On appeal, counsel submits additional evidence. 
The Director, United States Employment Service (Director), has determined that there are not sufficient United 
States workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available for the occupations listed below on Schedule A and 
that the wages and worhng conditions of United States workers similarly employed will not be adversely affected 
by the employment of aliens in Schedule A occupations. An alien seehng a labor certification for an occupation 
listed on Schedule A may apply for that labor certification pursuant to 20 C.F.R. 5 656.22, Schedule A, (a) Group 
I: (1) Persons who will be employed as physical therapists, and who possess all the qualifications necessary to 
take the physical therapist licensing examination in the State in which they propose to practice physical therapy. 
The regulation at 20 C.F.R. 5 656.22 (c) states that an employer seehng labor certification under Group I of 
Schedule A shall file, as part of its labor certification application, documentary evidence of the following: 
(1) An employer seelung Schedule A labor certification for an alien to be employed as a physical 
therapist (5 656.10(a)(l) of this part) shall file as part of its labor certification application a letter 
or statement signed by an authorized State physical therapy licensing official in the State of 
intended employment, stating that the alien is qualified to take that State's written licensing 
examination for physical therapists. Application for certification of permanent employment as a 
physical therapist may be made only pursuant to this 5 656.22 and not pursuant to $5 656.21, 
656.21a, or 656.23 of this part. 
Section 203(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act), 8 U.S.C. 5 1 153(b)(3)(A)(ii), 
provides for granting preference classification to qualified immigrants who hold baccalaureate degrees and 
are members of the professions. 
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. 5 204.5(1)(2) states, in pertinent part: 
"Professional means a qualified alien who holds at least a United States baccalaureate degree or a foreign 
equivalent degree and who is a member of the professions." 
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. tj 204.5(1)(3)(ii)(C) states, in pertinent part: 
Professionals. If the petition is for a professional, the petition must be accompanied by 
evidence that the alien holds a United States baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent 
degree and by evidence that the alien is a member of the professions. Evidence of a 
baccalaureate degree shall be in the form of an official college or university record showing 
the date the baccalaureate degree was awarded and the area of concentration of study. 
The 1-140 petition was filed March 24, 2004. It required that the applicant possess a Bachelor of Science 
degree (B.S.) in the major field of study, Physical Therapy. Along with the petition, the petitioner submitted 
copies of the following documents: an U.S. Department of Labor, Form ETA 750 A/B Application for Alien 
Employment Certification dated December 29, 2003; a notice of filing and posting of the Application for 
Alien Employment certification;' a credentials report from the International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. 
that the beneficiary has a degree comparable to the U.S. Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy; the 
beneficiary's resume; the beneficiary's diploma (Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy) and college 
transcripts; a certification from Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation, San Carlos City, Republic of the 
Philippines, that the beneficiary completed a clinical internship Erom May 1997 to February 1998; a certificate 
of employment from HEATHreach, Republic of the Philippines stating that the beneficiary was employed as a 
physical therapy clinical supervisor from October 1999 to present (i.e. December 10, 2000); a certificate of 
employment from Hands-on Health Care Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Services, Pangasinan, Republic 
of the Philippines from October 1998 to September 1999 9and before that as a volunteer from May 1998 to 
October 1998); approximately 7 certificates of attainment in continuing medical education; and, the 
beneficiary's records clearance certificate and Republic of the Philippines professional license valid until 
2001. 
Because the Director determined the evidence submitted with the petition was insufficient, inter alia, to 
demonstrate that the beneficiary is qualified to take that State of Texas' written licensing examination for 
physical therapists, and, the beneficiary had not submitted evidence to show that she has already the necessary 
state license, the Director requested on December 8,2004, pertinent evidence of same. 
In response to the request for evidence as above recited, the petitioner submitted, inter alia, a letter from the 
authorized to test. According to the terms of the letter the beneficiary's application would remain on file for 
one year from February 9,2005. 
The director denied the petition on April 8, 2005. The director determined that the petitioner has failed to 
establish that the beneficiary meets the requirements of 20 C.F.R. 8 656.22(1)(~)(1). Specifically the director 
found that there was no a letter or statement signed by an authorized State physical therapy licensing official in 
the State of intended employment which is Texas, stating that the alien is qualified to take that State's written 
licensing examination for physical therapists, and, the beneficiary has not submitted evidence to show that she has 
already the necessary state license. 
1 
The notice of filing and posting of the Application for Alien Employment Certification is defective on its 
face as it requires a Baccalaureate Degree in Physical Therapy and one year of experience in the relatedfield. 
The subject Application for Alien Employment Certification has no such experience requirement. Thus, the 
posting notice fails to comply with the regulation at 20 C.F.R. tj 656.20(g)(8) requiring that the notice contain a 
description of the job for Schedule A applications. 
On appeal, counsel states the following will happen at a future time: the beneficiary will take a qualifying 
licensing examination in California, and, then the beneficiary will apply for reciprocity for the Texas Physical 
Therapy Board and complete the requirements under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist in Texas. 
Counsel has submitted copies of the following documents to accompany the appeal statement: the Notice of 
Decision, and, a letter from the Physical Theravv Board of California. Sacramento, California, dated April 6, 
2004, addressed to the beneficiary at stating, in part, 
that the beneficiary is authorized to test. According to the terms of the letter the beneficiary's application 
would remain on file for one year from April 6, 2004. Despite the passage of almost three years, there is no 
evidence in the record of proceeding that the beneficiary took this examination. 
As a preface to the following discussion, a visa petition may not be approved based on speculation of future 
eligibility or after the petitioner or beneficiary becomes eligible under a new set of facts. See Matter of 
Michelin Tire Corp., 17 I&N Dec. 248 (Reg. Comm. 1978); Matter of Katigbak, 14 I&N Dec. 45,49 (Comm. 
1971). A petitioner may not make material changes to a petition in an effort to make a deficient petition 
conform to CIS requirements. See Matter of Izummi, 22 I&N Dec. 169, 176 (Assoc. Comm. 1998). 
The facts as submitted by the petitioner were that at the date of filing the petition, March 24, 2004, the 
beneficiary had not the necessary state license to practice physical therapy in the state of Texas, nor did the 
petitioner submit a letter or statement signed by an authorized State physical therapy licensing official in the State 
of intended employment which is Texas, stating that the beneficiary is qualified to take that State's written 
licensing examination for physical therapists. 
The petitioner has not come forward with substantive, independent and objective evidence according to 20 
C.F.R. $ 656.22(c) to demonstrate compliance with the above regulatory requirements wage from the date of 
filing of the 1-140 petition, March 24,2004. 
The burden of proof in these proceedings rests solely with the petitioner. Section 291 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 
$ 1361. The petitioner has not met that burden. 
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed. 
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