dismissed
L-1A
dismissed L-1A Case: Peace Advocacy
Decision Summary
The appeal was dismissed because the petitioner failed to establish a qualifying relationship between the U.S. company and the foreign entity. The petitioner claimed the U.S. entity was a branch, but evidence showed it was a separately incorporated legal entity, and the petitioner did not submit evidence of ownership and control to establish a subsidiary or affiliate relationship.
Criteria Discussed
Qualifying Relationship Doing Business Managerial Or Executive Capacity
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MATTER OF F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, INC.
APPEAL OF VERMONT SERVICE CENTER DECISION
Non-Precedent Decision of the
Administrative Appeals Office
DATE: NOV. 17, 2016
PETITION: FORM I-129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER
The Petitioner, a non-profit organization engaging in working toward permanent peace in Sri Lanka,
seeks to extend the Beneficiary's temporary employment as its chief executive officer under the L-1 A
nonimmigrant classification for intracompany transferees. See Immigration and Nationality Act (the
Act) section 101(a)(15)(L), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(L). TheL-IA classification allows a corporation
or other legal entity (including its affiliate or subsidiary) to transfer a qualifYing foreign employee to the
United States to work temporarily in an executive or managerial capacity.
The Director, Vermont Service Center, denied the petition on three alternate grounds, concluding
that the Petitioner did not establish that (1) a qualifying relationship exists between the U.S.
company and the foreign entity; (2) the U.S. company is actively engaged in business activity; and
(3) the Beneficiary will be employed in a primarily managerial or executive capacity under the
extended petition.
The matter is now before us on appeal. In its appeal, the Petitioner submits a brief and asserts that
the U.S. company is listed as a branch of the foreign entity and therefore they have a qualifying
relationship. The Petitioner also states that it is difficult to establish that the Beneficiary is
performing managerial duties when the company is still in the early stages of formation and is still in
the process of soliciting employees for hire.
Upon de novo review, we will dismiss the appeal.
I. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
To establish eligibility for the L-1 nonimmigrant visa classification, a qualifying organization must
have employed the Beneficiary in a managerial or executive capacity, or in a specialized knowledge
capacity, for one continuous year within three years preceding the Beneficiary's application for
admission into the United States. Section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act. In addition, the Beneficiary
must seek to enter the United States temporarily to continue rendering his or her services to the same
employer or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge
capacity. Id.
Matter of F-0-A -0- W-A- W-, Inc.
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(3) states that an individual petition filed on Form l-129,
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, shall be accompanied by:
(i) Evidence that the petitioner and the organization which employed or will
employ the alien are qualifying organizations as defined in paragraph
(1)(1 )(ii)(G) of this section.
(ii) Evidence that the alien will be employed in an executive, managerial, or
specialized knowledge capacity, including a detailed description of the
services to be performed.
(iii) Evidence that the alien has at least one continuous year of full-time
employment abroad with a qualifying organization within the three years
preceding the filing of the petition.
(iv) Evidence that the alien's prior year of employment abroad was in a position
that was managerial, executive or involved specialized knowledge and that
the alien's prior education, training, and employment qualifies him/her to
perform the intended services in the United States; however, the work in the
United States need not be the same work which the alien performed abroad.
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(14)(ii) also provides that a visa petition, which involved the
opening of a new office, may be extended by filing a new Form I-129, accompanied by the
following:
(A) Evidence that the United States and foreign entitles are still qualifying
organizations as defined in paragraph (1)(1 )(ii)(G) of this section;
(B) Evidence that the United States entity has been doing business as defined in
paragraph (1)(1 )(ii)(H) of this section for the previous year;
(C) A statement of the duties performed by the beneficiary for the previous year
and the duties the beneficiary will perform under the extended petition;
(D) A statement describing the staffing of the new operation, including the
number of employees and types of positions held accompanied by evidence
of wages paid to employees when the beneficiary will be employed in a
management or executive capacity; and
(E) Evidence of the financial status of the United States operation.
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Matter ofF-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
II. QUALIFYING RELATIONSHIP
The Director denied the petition, in part, based on a finding that the Petitioner did not establish that
the Beneficiary's foreign employer and the U.S. company are qualifying organizations. To establish
a "qualifying relationship" under the Act and the regulations, the petitioner must show that the
beneficiary's foreign employer and the proposed U.S. employer are the same employer (i.e. one
entity with "branch" offices), or related as a "parent and subsidiary" or as "affiliates." See generally
section 101(a)(15)(L) ofthe Act; 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1).
A. Discussion
On the L Supplement to Form 1-129, where asked to describe the percentage of stock ownership and
managerial control of each company that has a qualifying relationship, the Petitioner stated that the
U.S. company "is a branch of'' the foreign entity.
The Petitioner submitted a Certificate of Registration and Articles of Association of the foreign
entity identifying it as a non-profit, non-governmental organization in Sri Lanka, along with
financial audits from 2014 and 2015.
The Petitioner submitted an Application for Authority of the foreign entity to pursue its non-profit
activities in the state ofNew York, dated February 28,2014.
In response to the RFE, the Petitioner stated that the Beneficiary "is employed by the branch
organization in the United States[; and] because an overseas non-government organization cannot
solicit funds in the United States, it was necessary to incorporate [the Petitioner]. These are one and
the same organization as indicated in our letter of November 7, 2014." 1
The Petitioner then submitted a Certificate of Incorporation for the U.S. company, dated
March 31, 2014, as a non-profit organization. The Petitioner also submitted a copy of its Internal
Revenue Service letter identifying it as a tax-exempt organization pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code.
In denying the petition, the Director found that the record does not contain any evidence to establish
that the U.S. company has a qualifying relationship with the foreign entity as a branch. The Director
noted that the U.S. company incorporation documents do not reference the foreign entity and the
foreign entity's corporation documents do not reference the U.S. company.
On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the U.S. company was initially incorporated under the name
of the foreign entity, but the term "Friends of'' had to be added to the corporate name because a
1 We note that the Petitioner did not provide a copy of the November 7, 2014 letter referenced in the response to the
RFE.
3
(b)(6)
Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
foreign entity cannot be incorporated in the United States for the purposes of soliciting funds. The
Petitioner then refers to the definition of "organization" found in section 101(a)(28) of the Act,
which states:
The term "organization" means, but is not limited to, an organization, corporation,
company, partnership, association, trust, foundation or fund; and includes a group
of persons, whether or not incorporated, permanently or temporarily associated
together with joint action on any subject or subjects.
The Petitioner goes on to state the following about its qualifying relationship with the foreign entity:
It is our contention that [the foreign entity] and [the Petitioner] constitute a
qualifying association within the meaning of the law. The ownership and control of
both entities must be the same for a finding of a same employer , parent/subsidiary,
or affiliate relationship as required by the statute.
The ownership and control of both entities are the same. The purpose of these
organizations are the same. Three members of the board of directors of [the foreign
entity], are on the Board of [the Petitioner]. The founder and Chairperson of [the
foreign entity], is also founder and chairperson of [the
Petitioner].
The interpretation of qualifying companies is very broad and there have been
inconsistencies in [USCIS'] interpretation of 8 U.S.C. § 110l(a)(15)(L), which
should be interpreted in the very broad sense to include all forms of organizations ..
Further, the Petitioner contends that it submitted an audited financial statement from the foreign
entity listing the U.S. company as a branch and that firms that have related or financial interests may
be treated as though they are affiliated.
Here, the Petitioner has not presented evidence to demonstrate that it is a branch office of the foreign
entity, but rather, that it is a separate legal entity incorporated in the United States. Regardless of its
status as a non-profit entity, if the petitioner submits evidence to show that it is incorporated in the
United States, then that entity will not qualify as "an ... office of the same organization housed in a
different location," since that corporation is a distinct legal entity separate and apart from the foreign
organization. See Matter of M, 8 I&N Dec. 24, 50 (BIA 1958, AG 1958); Matter of Aphrodite
Investments Limited, 17 I&N Dec. 530 (Comm 'r 1980); and Matter ofTessel, 17 I&N Dec. 631 (Act.
Assoc. Comm 'r 1980). If the claimed branch is incorporated in the United States, USCIS must
examine the ownership and control of that corporation to determine whether it qualifies as a
subsidiary or affiliate of the foreign employer. In the instant matter, the Petitioner has not submitted
any evidence of ownership of the U.S. company and simply states that it is the same as the foreign
entity or that it is a branch of the foreign entity in the United States.
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Matter of F-0-A -0- W-A-W-, Inc.
In defining the nonimmigrant classification, the regulations specifically provide for the temporary
admission of an intracompany transferee "to the United States to be employed by a parent, branch,
affiliate, or subsidiary of [the foreign firm, corporation, or other legal entity]." 8 C.F.R. §
214.2(1)(1 )(i) (emphasis added). The regulations define the term "branch" as "an operating division
or office of the same organization housed in a different location." 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(l)(l)(ii)(J).
USCIS has recognized that the branch office of a foreign corporation may file a nonimmigrant
petition for an intracompany transferee. See; Matter of Leblanc, 13 I&N Dec. 816 (Reg. Comm'r
1971 ); Matter of Schick, 13 I&N Dec. 64 7 (Reg. Comm 'r 1970); see also Matter of Penner, 18 I&N
Dec. 49, 54 (Comm'r 1982) (stating that a Canadian corporation may not petition for L-1 B
employees who are directly employed by the Canadian office rather than a United States ot1ice). To
the extent a petitioner seeks to establish that it is a branch office in the United States, it must
demonstrate that it is bound to the foreign entity through common ownership and management. A
branch that is authorized to do business under United States law becomes, in effect, part of the
national industry. Matter of Schick, supra at 649-50.
Probative evidence of a branch office would include the following: a state business license
establishing that the foreign corporation is authorized to engage in business activities in the United
States; copies of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms 1120-F, U.S. Income Tax Return of a
Foreign Corporation; copies IRS Forms 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Returns, listing the
branch office as the employer; copies of a lease for office space in the United States; and/or any state
tax forms or other relevant evidence demonstrating that the petitioner is a branch office of a foreign
entity. Here, the Petitioner has not provided that evidence.
Based on the evidence in the record, the Petitioner has not established that the Beneficiary's foreign
employer and the U.S. company are qualifying organizations.
III. U.S. COMPANY DOING BUSINESS
The Director denied the petition, in part, based on a finding that the Petitioner did not establish that it
is a qualifying organization doing business in the United States. Specifically, the regulation at 8
C.F.R. § 214.2(l)(l)(ii)(H) defines that term as:
Doing business means the regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods
and/or services by a qualifying organization and does not include the mere presence
of an agent or office of the qualifying organization in the United States and abroad.
A. Discussion
When a petition indicates that a beneficiary is coming to the United States to open a "new office," it
must show that it is ready to commence doing business immediately upon approval. At the time of
filing the petition to open a "new office," a petitioner must affirmatively demonstrate that it has
acquired sufficient physical premises to commence business, that it has the financial ability to
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Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
commence doing business in the United States, and that it will support the beneficiary in a
managerial or executive position within one year of approval. See generally, 8 C.F.R.
§ 214.2(1)(3)(v). If approved, the beneficiaryis granted a one-year period of stay to open the "new
office." 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(7)(i)(A)(3). At the end of the one-year period, when the petitioner seeks
an extension of the "new office" petition, the regulation at 8 C.F .R. § 214.2(1)( 14 )(ii)(B) requires the
petitioner to demonstrate that it has been doing business "for the previous year" through the regular,
systematic, and continuous provision of goods or services. See 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(1)(ii)(H)
(defining the term "doing business"). The mere presence of an agent or office of the qualifying
organization will not suffice. Jd.
In the instant matter, the Petitioner has not submitted sufficient evidence in support of the U.S.
company's business operations during the year preceding the filing of the petition, February 2015 to
February 2016. In support of the petition, the Petitioner submitted its office lease, dated
December 21,2015, and commencing on January 1, 2016, for one year. The Petitioner submitted
receipts for online purchases of furniture and tools, all dated after January 1, 2016. The Petitioner
also submitted bank statements showing minimal activity with two incoming wire transfers and
limited debit card purchases from November 1, 2015 to January 31,2016.
On appeal, the Petitioner states that it is given one year to organize itself~ "but that one year is not a
firm and definite amount of time[;] it takes some companies more than one year to accomplish this
goal." The Petitioner states that "because of the nature of [the U.S. company's] functions, it is very
difficult to meet any deadline with regard to doing business and hiring employees."
Here, the Petitioner has not provided any evidence of its actual operations from February 2015 to
December 2015. The Petitioner's lease agreement didn't commence until January 1, 2016, which is
11 months after it was supposed to have commenced its operations in the United States. Not only
are the online furniture purchases insufficient to demonstrate that a company is doing business, the
furniture was purchased in January 2016, which again, is 11 months after the Petitioner was
supposed to have commenced its operations in the United States. Aside from the fact that the bank
statements provided start at November 2015, which is nine months after the Petitioner was supposed
to have commenced its operations in the United States, the minimal activity shown on the bank
statements also does not demonstrate that the Petitioner has been doing business in the United States.
Based on the evidence in the record, and the Petitioner's assertions on appeal, we cannot conclude
that the Petitioner has been doing business in a regular, systematic, and continuous manner for the
previOus year.
Despite the petitioner's assertions, it may not be granted a second "new office" L-1 A visa approval.
The nonimmigrant intracompany transferee visa is not an entrepreneurial visa classification allowing
a beneficiary a prolonged stay in the United States in a non-managerial or non-executive capacity to
start up a new business. The regulations allow for a one-year period for the U.S. entity to commence
doing business and develop to the point that it will support the beneficiary in a qualifying managerial
or executive position. By allowing multiple petitions under a more lenient standard, USCIS would
allow foreign entities to create under-funded, under-staffed, or even inactive companies in the
6
Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
United States, with the expectation that they could receive multiple extensions of their L-1 status
without primarily engaging in managerial or executive duties. The only provision that allows for the
extension of a "new office" visa petition requires the petitioner to demonstrate that it is staffed and
has been "doing business" in a regular, systematic, and continuous manner for the previous year. 8
C.P.R. § 214.2(1)(14)(ii).
Based on the evidence in the record, the Petitioner has not established that its petitioning U.S.
company has been doing business in the United States for one year prior to filing the instant petition.
IV. U.S. EMPLOYMENT IN A MANAGERIAL OR EXECUTIVE CAPACITY
The Director denied the petition, in part, based on a finding that the Petitioner did not establish that
the Beneficiary will be employed in a managerial or executive capacity under the extended petition.
The Petitioner has not specifically described the Beneficiary's proposed position as either
managerial or executive. Therefore, our analysis will explore both.
Section 101(a)(44)(A) ofthe Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(44)(A), defines the term "managerial capacity"
as "an assignment within an organization in which the employee primarily":
(i) manages the organization, or a department, subdivision, function, or
component of the organization;
(ii) supervises and controls the work of other supervisory, professional, or
managerial employees, or manages an essential function within the
organization, or a department or subdivision of the organization;
(iii) if another employee or other employees are directly supervised, has the
authority to hire and fire or recommend those as well as other personnel
actions (such as promotion and leave authorization), or if no other employee
is directly supervised, functions at a senior level within the organizational
hierarchy or with respect to the function managed; and
(iv) exercises discretion over the day-to-day operations of the activity or
function for which the employee has authority.
Further, "a first-line supervisor is not considered to be acting in a managerial capacity merely by
virtue ofthe supervisor's supervisory duties unless the employees supervised are professional." ld.
Section 101(a)(44)(B) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(44)(B), defines the term "executive capacity"
as "an assignment within an organization in which the employee primarily":
(i) directs the management of the organization or a major component or
function of the organization;
Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
(ii) establishes the goals and policies of the organization, component, or
function;
(iii) exercises wide latitude in discretionary decision-making; and
(iv) receives only general supervision or direction from higher-level executives,
the board of directors, or stockholders of the organization.
If staffing levels are used as a factor in determining whether an individual is acting in a managerial
or executive capacity, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must take into account
the reasonable needs of the organization, in light of the overall purpose and stage of development of
the organization. See section 101(a)(44)(C) ofthe Act.
A. Discussion
Upon review of the petition and the evidence of record, including materials submitted in support of
the appeal, we conclude that the Petitioner has not established that the Beneficiary would be
employed in a managerial or executive capacity under the extended petition.
When examining the managerial or executive capacity of the Beneficiary, we will look first to the
Petitioner's description of the job duties. See 8 C.F .R. § 214.2(1)(3)(ii). The Petitioner's description
of the job duties must clearly describe the duties to be performed by the Beneficiary and indicate
whether such duties are in a managerial or executive capacity. !d.
The definitions of managerial and executive capacity each have two parts. First, the Petitioner must
show that the Beneficiary will perform certain high-level responsibilities. Champion World, Inc. v.
INS, 940 F.2d 1533 (9th Cir. 1991) (unpublished table decision). Second, the Petitioner must prove
that the Beneficiary will be primarily engaged in managerial or executive duties, as opposed to
ordinary operational activities alongside the Petitioner's other employees. See Family Inc. v. VSCIS,
469 F.3d 1313, 1316 (9th Cir. 2006); Champion World, 940 F.2d 1533.
In the L Classification Supplement to Form 1-129, where asked to describe the Beneficiary's
proposed duties in the United States, the Petitioner stated that the Beneficiary will "manage new
company[;] negotiate and sign contracts for office space and vendor agreements[; and] hire and train
staff for non-profit."
In its initial letter of support, the Petitioner listed the Beneficiary's proposed job duties as follows:
• Coordinate the activities relating to the establishment of a new office
• Hire, train, and supervise lower level management personnel
• Negotiate contractual agreements with landlord, vendors and contractors
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Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
• Represent [the foreign entity] at the United Nations to continue to secure donors
and collaborative partners to advance the organizations' interests in Sri Lanka
• Identify additional institutional funders and formulate proposals to secure funding
• Establish and maintain effective working relationship with institutional funders,
governmental representatives and project partners
• Supervise and review the activities of subordinate managers
• Chair regular board meetings and provide information as requested by board
members
• Ensure that municipal and federal regulations relating to operations of non-profit
organizations are adhered to
• Liaise with [the foreign entity] in Sri Lanka and prepare necessary reports
This list of job duties was vague and did not provide any insight as to what the Beneficiary would
actually do on a day-to-day basis. While the broadly stated responsibilities suggest that the
Beneficiary would have managerial authority over the petitioning company, there is insufficient
detail to establish that his actual duties would be primarily managerial or executive in nature.
Specifics are clearly an important indication of whether a beneficiary's duties are primarily
executive or managerial in nature, otherwise meeting the definitions would simply be a matter of
reiterating the regulations. Fedin Bros. Co., Ltd. v. Sava, 724 F. Supp. 1103, 1108 (E.D.N.Y. 1989),
. aff'd, 905 F .2d 41 (2d. Cir. 1990).
In response to the Director's request for evidence (RFE), the Petitioner submitted a letter stating that
the U.S. company represents the interests of the foreign entity at the United Nations and while the
Beneficiary is employed by the U.S. company, he represents the foreign entity. The Petitioner also
stated that, as the head of the company in the United States, the Beneficiary has the authority to hire,
train, supervise, and terminate the services of future employees.
Here, rather than providing clarification on the Beneficiary's proposed duties and additional details
about the actual tasks he will perform in carrying out his listed duties, the Petitioner did not provide
any information. The Petitioner, again, has not provided any insight as to what the Beneficiary will
actually be doing on a day-to-day basis under the extended petition. The Petitioner did not provide
any additional information about the Beneficiary's duties or how much time he will devote to each
of them. The Petitioner's description of the Beneficiary's job duties does not establish what
proportion of the Beneficiary's duties will be managerial or executive in nature, if any, and what
proportion will be non-managerial or non-executive. See Republic ofTranskei v. INS, 923 F.2d 175,
177 (D.C. Cir. 1991 ). These general statements do not offer any clarification as to the Beneficiary's
actual proposed duties in the United States, and fall considerably short of demonstrating that that the
Beneficiary will primarily manage the organization,· supervise and control the work of other
supervisory, professional, or managerial employees, direct the management of the organization, or
establish goals and policies. Reciting the beneficiary's vague job responsibilities or broadly-cast
business objectives is not sufficient; the regulations require a detailed description of the
beneficiary's daily job duties. The petitioner has not provided any detail or explanation of the
beneficiary's proposed activities in the course of his daily routine. The actual duties themselves will
9
Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
reveal the true nature ofthe employment. Fedin Bros. Co., Ltd. v. Sava, 724 F. Supp. at 1108, af('d,
905 F.2d 41 (2d. Cir. 1990).
Beyond the required description of the job duties, USCIS reviews the totality of the record when
examining the claimed managerial or executive capacity of a beneficiary, including the company's
organizational structure, the duties of the beneficiary's subordinate employees, the presence of other
employees to relieve the beneficiary from performing operational duties, the nature of the business,
and any other factors that will contribute to understanding a beneficiary's actual duties and role in a
business.
In response to the RFE, the Petitioner also addressed its lack of employees and stated that, as a
non-profit organization, it has delayed the significant outlay of cash involved in acquiring other
managerial staff. The Petitioner refers to its business plan which states that it would use interns
during its first year of operations and major hires would take place in its second year. The Petitioner
submitted an organizational chart for the U.S. company, listing a manager, a project manager, and a
fundraising manager, all directly subordinate to the Beneficiary, and all "to be hired." The Petitioner
also submitted a document detailing its interns during its first year of operations, listing one intern as
"full-time administrative support," and four additional interns as "part-time administrative support,"
among other representational tasks.
In this matter, the proposed position of the Beneficiary is chief executive officer. The petitioner has
not demonstrated that the Beneficiary, as listed in his job duties, will be primarily supervising a
subordinate · staff of professional, managerial, or supervisory personnel. See section
101(a)(44)(A)(ii) of the Act. Furthermore, the petitioner has not established that it employs a staff
that will relieve the Beneficiary from performing non-qualifying duties so that the Beneficiary may
primarily engage in managerial or executive duties. Further, regardless of the Beneficiary's position
title, the record is not persuasive that the Beneficiary will function at a senior level within an
organizational hierarchy. Even though the enterprise is in a preliminary stage of organizational
development, the petitioner is not relieved from meeting the statutory requirements. Although the
Petitioner submitted a list of interns at the U.S. company for the previous year, it is not sufficient to
show that the Beneficiary supervises professional, managerial, or supervisory employees, or that he
is relieved from performing non-qualifying duties.
On appeal, the Petitioner states that it is given one year to organize itself, "but that one year is not a
firm and definite amount of time[;] it takes some companies more than one year to accomplish this
goal." The Petitioner states that "because of the nature of [the U.S. company's] functions, it is very
difficult to meet any deadline with regard to doing business and hiring employees." In a separate
brief, the Petitioner states that "it is very difficult to establish that the Beneficiary is performing
managerial duties when the company is still in the early stages of formation and is still in the process
of soliciting employees for hire."
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(3)(v)(C) only allows the "new office" operation one year
within the date of approval of the petition to support a managerial or executive position. There is no
10
Matter of F-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc.
provision in USCIS regulations that allows for an extension of this one-year period. If a business
does not have the necessary staffing after one year to sufficiently relieve the beneficiary from
performing operational and "administrative tasks, the petitioner is ineligible by regulation for an
extension. Here, it appears that the Petitioner concedes to USCIS that the U.S. company has not
developed to a point where it has hired or will hire sufficient staff to relieve the Beneficiary from
performing non-qualifying operational duties. The Petitioner appears to concede that the
Beneficiary is not performing in a managerial or executive capacity and does not clearly indicate that
he would perform in a managerial or executive capacity under the extended petition. In the instant
matter, the Petitioner has not reached the point that it can employ the Beneficiary in a qualifying
managerial or executive position.
Based on the record discussed above, the Petitioner has not established that the Beneficiary would be
employed in a managerial or executive capacity under the extended petition.
V. CONCLUSION
The petition will be denied for the above stated reasons, with each considered an independent and
alternative basis for the decision.
In visa petition proceedings, the burden of proving eligibility for the benefit sought remains entirely
with the petitioner. Section 291 ofthe Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1361; Matter ofOtiende, 26 I&N 127, 128
(BIA 2013 ). Here, that burden has not been met.
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed.
Cite as Matter ofF-0-A-0-W-A-W-, Inc., ID# 99106 (AAO Nov. 17, 2016)
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