dismissed L-1B Case: Information Technology

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identifjing data deleted to 
Prevent ckarly unwarranted 
invasion of personal privacy 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 
Office ofAdministrative Appeals, MS 2090 
Washington, DC 20529-2090 
U. S. Citizenship 
and Immigration 
File: EAC 09 058 5 1646 Office: VERMONT SERVICE CENTER Date: h1AR 1 9 2oio 
Petition: Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker Pursuant to Section 10 1 (a)(15)(L) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 9 1 10 1 (a)(15)(L) 
ON BEHALF OF PETITIONER: 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
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. 
If you believe the law was inappropriately applied or you have additional information that you wish to have 
considered, you may file a motion to reconsider or a motion to reopen. Please refer to 8 C.F.R. 5 103.5 for 
the specific requirements. All motions must be submitted to the office that originally decided your case by 
filing a Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, with a fee of $585. Any motion must be filed within 30 
days of the decision that the motion seeks to reconsider or reopen, as required by 8 C.F.R. 5 103.5(a)(l)(i). 
u 
Perry Rhew 
Chief, Administrative Appeals Office 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 2 
DISCUSSION: The Director, Vermont Service Center, denied the petition for a nonimmigrant visa. The 
matter is now before the Administrative Appeals Office ("AAO") on appeal. The AAO will dismiss the 
appeal. 
The petitioner filed this nonimmigrant visa petition seeking to employ the beneficiary as an L-IB intracompany 
transferee with specialized knowledge pursuant to section 10 1 (a)(] 5)(L) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
("the Act"), 8 U.S.C. 5 1101(a)(15)(L). The petitioner, a Delaware corporation, claims to be a subsidiary of the 
beneficiary's foreign employer located in India. The petitioner states that it is an information technology solutions 
and services provider with clients in the avionics, defense, telecommunications and multimedia industries. The 
petitioner seeks to employ the beneficiary in the position of electro-mechanical engineer for a period of three 
years, and indicates that he will be assigned to work on a project for the petitioner's client, - 
(hereinafter the "unaffiliated employer"). 
The director denied the petition, concluding that the petitioner failed to establish that the beneficiary possesses 
specialized knowledge or that he has been or will be employed in a capacity involving specialized knowledge. 
The director further found: (1) that the petitioner failed to establish that the beneficiary would be principally 
supervised and controlled by the petitioning company while assigned to the unaffiliated employer's worksite; 
and (2) that the beneficiary's assignment to the worksite of an unaffiliated employer would be an 
impermissible arrangement to provide labor for hire under the provisions of section 214(c)(2)(F) of the Act, as 
created by the L-l Visa Reform Act of 2004. In denying the petition, the director determined that the claimed 
specialized knowledge is not specific to the petitioning organization. 
The petitioner subsequently filed an appeal. The director declined to treat the appeal as a motion and 
forwarded the appeal to the AAO. On appeal, counsel for the petitioner asserts that the director failed to 
acknowledge that the skills, processes and methodologies required to execute the assigned client project are 
proprietary to the petitioning organization. Counsel further asserts that the beneficiary's training is "more 
extensive than was acknowledged in the denial notice." Finally counsel asserts that the petitioner submitted 
sufficient evidence to establish that the beneficiary will be controlled by the petitioning company and not by 
the unaffiliated employer, including a letter from the client confirming this fact. Counsel submits a brief, but 
no additional evidence, in support of the appeal. 
To establish L-1 eligibility under section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act, the petitioner must demonstrate that the 
beneficiary, within three years preceding the beneficiary's application for admission into the United States, has 
been employed abroad in a qualifying managerial or executive capacity, or in a capacity involving specialized 
knowledge, for one continuous year by a qualifying organization. The petitioner must also demonstrate that the 
beneficiary seeks to enter the United States temporarily in order to continue to render services to the same 
employer or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof in a capacity that is managerial, executive, or involves specialized 
knowledge. 
The regulation at 8 C.F.R. 5 214.2(1)(3) further states that an individual petition filed on Form 1-129 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 (l)(l)(ii)(G) of this section. 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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(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 himher 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. 
I. Relevant Law 
Under section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act, an alien is eligible for classification as a nonimmigrant if the alien, 
among other things, will be rendering services to the petitioning employer "in a capacity that is managerial, 
executive, or involves specialized knowledge." Section 214(c)(2)(B) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 5 1184(c)(2)(B), 
provides the statutory definition of specialized knowledge: 
For purposes of section lOl(a)(15)(L), an alien is considered to be serving in a capacity 
involving specialized knowledge with respect to a company if the alien has a special knowledge 
of the company product and its application in international markets or has an advanced level of 
knowledge of processes and procedures of the company. 
Furthermore, the regulation at 8 C.F.R. 5 214.2(1)(l)(ii)(D) defines specialized knowledge as: 
[Slpecial knowledge possessed by an individual of the petitioning organization's product, 
service, research, equipment, techniques, management or other interests and its application in 
international markets, or an advanced level of knowledge or expertise in the organization's 
processes and procedures. 
Section 2 14(c)(2)(F) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 5 1 184(c)(2)(F) (the "L-I Visa Reform Act"), in turn, provides: 
An alien who will serve in a capacity involving specialized knowledge with respect to an 
employer for purposes of section 101(a)(15)(L) and will be stationed primarily at the worksite of 
an employer other than the petitioning employer or its affiliate, subsidiary, or parent shall not be 
eligible for classification under section 101 (a)(15)(L) if - 
(i) the alien will be controlled and supervised principally by such unafiliated 
employer; or 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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(ii) the placement of the alien at the worksite of the unaffiliated employer is 
essentially an arrangement to provide labor for hire for the unaffiliated 
employer, rather than a placement in connection with the provision of a product 
or service for which specialized knowledge specific to the petitioning employer 
is necessary. 
Section 214(c)(2)(F) of the Act is applicable to all L-1B petitions filed after June 6, 2005, including petition 
extensions and amendments for individuals that are currently in L-1B status. See Pub. L. No. 108-447, Div. I, 
Title IV, 5 4 12, 1 18 Stat. 2809,3352 (Dec. 8,2004). 
Due to the nature of the L-1 Visa Reform Act, the two issues raised by the director - whether the petitioner has 
established that the beneficiary possesses the requisite "specialized knowledge" and whether the requirements of 
the L-1 Visa Reform Act have been satisfied - are independent but legally intertwined. Prior to evaluating 
whether the L-1 Visa Reform Act applies, an adjudicator must determine whether the beneficiary is employed in 
a specialized knowledge capacity. If the beneficiary is not employed in this capacity, the petition may be denied 
on this basis and there is no need to address the requirements of the L-1 Visa Reform Act. Because the director 
reviewed both issues, the AAO will nevertheless discuss both specialized knowledge and the elements of the L-1 
Visa Reform Act. Upon review, the AAO concurs with the director's decision to deny the petition. 
II. Specialized Knowledge 
The primary issue in this proceeding is whether the petitioner has established that the beneficiary has been or 
will be employed in a specialized knowledge capacity and whether the beneficiary possesses specialized 
knowledge. 8 C.F.R. $8 214.2(1)(3)(ii) and (iv). 
The petitioner filed the Form 1-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, on December 17, 2008. The petitioner 
indicated on Form 1-129 that the beneficiary will be employed in the position of electro-mechanical engineer. 
In a letter dated September 12, 2008, the foreign entity stated that the beneficiary has been employed by the 
petitioner's Indian parent company since July 2002 and currently holds the position of principal software engineer 
with the following duties: 
Started as a module scrutinizer of assembly modules (Assembly language based on Motorola 
cold fire architecture) than to ADA scrutiny and review of Scrutiny reports. From the middle of 
the project assisted the team leader in project management activities like updating the Gant chart, 
work allocation, preparing delivery indexes, assisting in co-ordination memos and co-ordinating 
the team members. In the tail end of the project started with the module testing and review of 
module test specification and validation reports. 
Also worked as a configuration controller for the work products configuration and delivery. 
Then updating document log, preparing consolidated effort metrics and coordination memo 
status updating. 
EAC 09 05 8 5 1646 
Page 5 
The foreign entity stated that the beneficiary will continue to "work on projects . . . for our U.S. based clients," 
and "work on Projects conforming to the guidelines of our Specific Standards and provide deliveries to the 
Clients before deadlines." 
The foreign entity further described the beneficiary's experience and technical skill set as follows: 
He has been a part of 21 projects and has worked with software like ADA, C, C++, VC++, 
Assembly, Avionic Testing Equipments and Simulators, PL ADA testing tool, LDRA - Test 
bed, RTRT, McCabe, Single step with Vision ICE, TFTP loader, Visual Studio, Clearcase, Star 
team, Object Ada, Vision Click, Code Compossor [sic] Studio, LabView, MPLAB-ICD, PCAN, 
TechSat Tools - Data loader and DOORS, BDI Abatron 
The petitioner also provided a letter dated October 3 1, 2008 from the unaffiliated employer, a supplier of systems 
and services to the aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. The petitioner's client explained that it 
contracted with the petitioner to provide technical support for a variety of commercial programs for major aircraft 
programs. The client indicated that the beneficiary specifically "will be working on 787 FQMS which performs 
critical airplane functions like measuring and sending fuel available on-board to cockpit in addition to refueling 
and defueling activity on the airplane." 
On December 23, 2008, the director requested additional evidence, including, inter alia, a more detailed 
description of any proprietary procedures used by the beneficiary, accompanied by documentary evidence to 
support the petitioner's claims. The director requested that the petitioner use specific terminology and examples in 
explaining how the knowledge possessed by the beneficiary is not general knowledge held commonly throughout 
the industry. The director further instructed the petitioner to explain in more detail exactly what is the equipment, 
system, product, technique, research, or service of which the beneficiary has specialized knowledge, and how the 
beneficiary's knowledge will be used on the proposed project. 
The director also requested evidence pertaining to any pertinent training courses the beneficiary has completed 
during his employment with the organization, including evidence of the types of courses taken, the duration of the 
courses, the number of hours spent taking the courses each day and certificates of completion for the courses. 
The director requested that the petitioner identifjl the minimum amount of time required to train an employee to 
fill the proffered position, and to specify the number of similarly employed workers within the organization, the 
number of workers who have received similar training, and the number of employees deemed to qualify as 
"specialized knowledge" workers. Finally, the director requested a copy of the contract for services between the 
petitioner and the unaffiliated employer. 
In response, the foreign entity's managing director, submitted a letter dated February 2,2009, in 
which he stated that the purpose of the beneficiary's assignment is as follows: 
Our current requirement in the USA is to service requirements from [the unaffiliated employer] 
located in Vergennes, of quite a few components of the new aircraft being developed by Boeing 
(B787). Having built experience and expertise in these systems over the last 3 years in India 
whilst working on the system rigs provided by Boeing, it has now become imperative for us to 
deliver further services on the B787 systems at [the unaffiliated employer]. 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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. . . .From a list of more than a dozen companies, [the petitioner] was chosen by [the unaffiliated 
employer] as a partner mainly due to [the petitioner's] capabilities and its demonstration of 
integrating with technologies in [the unaffiliated employer] quickly. 
mprovided a second letter dated February 2, 2009 in which he further described the nature and 
objectives of the Fuel Quantity Management System (FQMS) project for the Boeing 787 aircraft. He explained 
that commercial aircraft fuel systems are extremely complex and that only a few global industry leaders have the 
expertise to work on the testing and verification of such systems. emphasized that it is a long-time 
supplier of fuel system verification services to Boeing and Airbus, the pioneers in the industry, and as a result, has 
"developed unique skill set that are required to carry out such complex system development and verification." 
With respect to the beneficiary's specific involvement with the project, stated: 
[The beneficiary] has been involved in FQMS for the past three years working on this system for 
our client using C, DOORS, Avionics Development Station, Code Compossor Studio, Vision 
Click, LDRA, LabView, Raven Power PC Suite, Windriver Debugger and cutting-edge Vision 
ICE set up, BDI Abatron Emulator, NI CAN Analyzer, Oscilloscope, HMPTT, TechSat ARINC 
6 15 loaders, Digital signal processors 2808,28 12, General Purpose Machines, Intelligent AFDX 
Switches Processor MPC 565, DO-178B Standard. Since [the beneficiary] has been a member of 
this project team for over 3 years, he has extensive understanding about the business and the 
processes of our client. Additionally, he has been working for [the foreign entity] for more than 7 
years and understands all other internal processes quite superbly. Moreover, he possesses a 
unique skill combination of system testing of 787 - FQMS, Fuel Quantity Indication System, 
and electrical load management system for Boeing 777, High Speed Train Systems, Incremental 
Train Speed Control System, V&V of Display systems used in EH101, trainer aircrafts like KTI, 
SAGEM etc. His knowledge of our methodologies and processes for handling critical aircraft 
systems is rare and uncommon. 
He will be required to be in our new corporate office and work under the direct supervision of 
Having acquired strong aircraft system knowledge and 
experience of more than 7 years that is directly beneficiary to our key clients, [the beneficiary] is 
a natural employee to be in this position. [The beneficiary] is a highly competent technical 
professional with advanced skills who has gone on to gain vast and advanced business 
knowledge of the client and domain (especially in aircraft systems) knowledge. He has 
demonstrated acute capability of gathering and understanding the business requirements and 
converting them into technical requirements. He also has advanced technical knowledge, 
avionics domain expertise and skills necessary to resolve aircraft issues related to application 
environments, which can be handled only in the USA. . . . [The beneficiary] is one of only very 
few persons on the team capable of handling all the responsibilities proficiently. In a practical 
sense, he will be a Head of Technical teams. 
fiuther emphasized that the beneficiary's combination of technical skills, experience in the 
"processes procedures and methodologies of [the petitioner's] product and service delivery to clients," and more 
than four years of experience in working on the FQMS project make the beneficiary a "key employee" who has 
EAC 09 058 51646 
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enhanced the company's image, financial position, competitiveness and productivity. He emphasized that the 
beneficiary holds knowledge that is "complex, sophisticated and obtainable after a lengthy training and 
experience using same," and that it would be "difficult, if not impossible, to gain this knowledge without 
considerable experience [within the foreign entity's] operations." 
With respect to the company's internal processes and methodologies, stated: 
[The beneficiary] is very well versed in our design and system architecture, testing concepts and 
processes, [the company's] Quality Management System Awareness, Avionics considering 
different fueling systems in use, various components of aircraft display systems, RBT 
techniques, etc. and [the company's] strategy and methodologies. Our ability to implement 
successful programs helps companies increase efficiency, productivity and profitability by 
identifying trends and delivering solutions contained within their reservoir of data. The 
interoperability of this integrative technology is critical in the aviation industry. This 
methodology, designed and developed by [the foreign entity], is so powerful and diversified in 
its data and reporting capabilities, that users from different locations can use it accurately with 
timely data, easy access, virtual location capabilities and, above all, the security of the 
information that is accessed. This makes this tool and methodology of [the foreign entity] very 
valuable (and in high demand) to the present and emerging aircraft air refueling industry. The 
knowledge of [the beneficiary] is rare but that is not the only reason it is specialized. He is one of 
very few professionals who know the combination of technologies, methodology in aircraft 
fueling. [The foreign entity] design[s] and develops solutions for these companies using its home 
grown distinctive specialized variation and knowledge of these technologies and methodologies. 
In addition, explained that the beneficiary has helped the company define the FQMS technology, 
and "played a key role in the design, development and implementation of the process." The foreign entity noted 
that the beneficiary's "pioneering effort and excellence with this technology led to her [sic] recognition and 
promotion to the role of Principal Software Engineer at our facility in India," and that his "prototype development 
efforts" have elevated the company's standing. 
further stated that the expertise the beneficiary gained "in the process of developing, modifying and 
integrating these technologies, methodologies and portals (as modified by [the foreign entity]) is not available in 
the U.S. job market and involves our peculiar methodologies." He emphasized that the beneficiary's proposed 
duties "require the beneficiary's involvement and participation in the actual transfer of product information and 
knowledge," as he will use his knowledge and experience to "provide our clients the knowledge and training 
regarding these technologies that are clearly unfamiliar to them." 
Finally, with respect to the beneficiary's training, stated: 
Please note that eligible trainees on our FQMS 787 technologies and methodologies typically 
have 7 or more years of industry experience with a good fundamental understanding of the 
application of cutting-edge technologies to the aviation industry. Graduates from this program 
are required to effectively and efficiently interact with end users and decision makers to 
understand their needs of the particular business, devi[s]e robust solutions that will aid the 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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decision-making process and provide insight into current operations. This training program 
rounds out the individual by exposing them to business communications and customer etiquette. 
At the conclusion of the training program at which the applicant must have demonstrated a 
thorough understanding of the technology, strategy and methodologies, they are assigned to 
work on a project. Since the technology and methodology are peculiar to [the foreign entity], 
candidates who have not worked at [the petitioner's group of companies] are not able to perform 
the duties of the job offered. 
The petitioner submitted a separate letter from, dated January 2 1,2009, in which he further outlined 
the petitioner's requirements for the position and the beneficiary's qualifications as follows: 
For any skilled worker in the industry to work on [the 787 FQMS and related projects], it 
requires at least 2 years of verification / development experience in safety critical domain, and it 
would take 1 - 1.5 years of further training on system verification and technical tools (e.g MPC 
555, Vision ICE test set-up, NI CAN Analyzer etc.) 
[The beneficiary] has been working on Boeing 787 FQMS (Fuel Quantity Management System) 
project for the past 3 years. As he is associated with this project for so long he has gained a lot of 
knowledge during the course of time. System verification is a complex activity and the skill 
levels needed are high-end. He is chosen for this project as he possesses the system verification 
skills and he is highly competent with his ability to work on technical tools like ADS2, HMPTT, 
TechSAT, Dataloader, Code Composer Studio 3.1, RTRT 6.5, LDRA, Object Ada, MPLAB 
IDE. His knowledge on processors PPC750, DSP2808 and PIC 184F52, Test set up RCP, SBS 
PPC 747X. 
In a separate statement, the petitioner stated that the beneficiary's daily duties while working at the unaffiliated 
employer's site will be: 
Develop System Verification test cases, test Procedures, scenarios for verifLing Boeing 
787 fuel Systems for compliance against SRS and SRU. Provide technical consultancy 
to the team and the project. 
Discuss with the customers on technical issues coming from both [the unaffiliated 
employer] and Boeing. 
Ensure software Requirement and structural coverage (through documentation which 
includes Test case document and Scenario and dry run using TechSAT, DataLoader, 
Code composer Studio 3.1, RTRT 6.15, HMPTT, ADS2, MPLAB IDE, LDRA and 
GFUS GM, FQDCIRCP test set, SBC PPC 747X and RCP) leading to service ready 
Mile stone. 
In addition to the above he will have to perform additional test on both LRU and Low Level and 
demonstrate compliance in front of I>ER/FAA in the USA 
Finally, the petitioner submitted a chart outlining the classroom and on-the-job training the beneficiary has 
undertaken since joining the foreign entity in 2002. His classroom, instructor-led training included: Review and 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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inspection; Software Configuration Management; Software Quality Assurance Process; Verification and 
Validation Process; Effective Interviewing Skills; Performance Appraisal Procedure, C*, Team Leading, DO 
178 B safety standards; and Software Safety (application of testing used in safety critical systems). The chart 
indicates that the beneficiary has received on-the job training including the following: 
systems 
based design.. . 
- Trained on basic settings for performing testing using panel 
and script approach of ADS2 tool. 
- Trained on usage of TechSAT dataloader for loading 
the software on to the target, for analyzing the Inputs to the software and outputs from the 
software 
Trained on usage of code composer for compiling the 
software, for buring [sic] the image on the target and also in its usage as an emulator. 
- Trained on usage of RTRT for low level testing, on how to set 
up the tool for code coverage, setting up code with respect to level of software, on collecting 
coverage history and on performing coverage analysis on the reports. 
Finally, with respect to the unaffiliated employer's project, the petitioner submitted a supply agreement between 
the foreign entity and the unaffiliated employer. Schedule 1 of the agreement indicates that the petitioner "is to 
provide design, development and testing services to [the unaffiliated employer] of real-time software projects 
which are principally embedded safety critical software projects." The agreement indicates that elements of work 
will be grouped together into packages, with each package having a separate quotation and agreed delivery date 
set forth on Schedule 4. The petitioner did not, however, submit the Schedule 4, for the FQMS project. Instead, 
the petitioner submitted a blank Schedule 4 "Work Package Agreement," which does not identify the 
description/scope of work, the deliverables required from the unaffiliated employer, or other pertinent project 
details. 
The director denied the petition on February 12, 2009, concluding that the petitioner failed to establish that the 
beneficiary has been or would be employed in a specialized knowledge capacity. The director acknowledged that 
the beneficiary may be required to utilize the petitioner's proprietary tools and methodologies to cany out his 
duties, but determined that the beneficiary has been and will be primarily engaged in work on the unaffiliated 
employer's systems and not on products that are specific to the petitioning company. 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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The director acknowledged the training summary provided for the beneficiary, but noted that the petitioner failed 
to identify the duration of the courses or certificates of completion, and thus it could not be concluded that he 
underwent an extensive training program. Rather, the director noted that the beneficiary appears to be well-versed 
in various computer hardware and software systems that are likely common among engineers in his industry, has 
no more than three to four months of pertinent in-house training. The director further noted that the fact that the 
beneficiary has specific project experience is not sufficient to establish that he possesses specialized knowledge, 
as most employees within the petitioner's organization would possess knowledge that is peculiar to their specific 
project assignments. 
On appeal, asserts that he believes that "there was a fundamental error from the onset about the 
nature of our business which may have influenced this negative outcome." He emphasizes that the petitioner is 
"not just a software company," but rather "provides a range of original electronic products including verification 
and validation systems and control units." He provides a detailed description of the project to which the . 
beneficiary is assigned and emphasizes that "the job involves understanding of Boeing and Client's system, 
software requirements and ensures adequate information is available to perform the system verification tasks." 
further states: 
Tests are developed independently and executed in the flight equivalent hardware equipment. 
Development of tests involves in depth understanding of general aircraft fuel systems, aircraft 
cockpit interface, aircraft electrical management system, aircraft fuel lines, aircraft power plants 
and aircraft communication network turned into tests which could identify potential problems 
within the system both at the software and system level. Tests are developed as per DO-178B 
Level A standards where all tests developed with full independence. Execution of verification 
and validation involves creation of aircraft signals simulation, hardware set-up to mimic real- 
time aircraft environment, development of test scripts to set avionics full duplex Ethernet signals 
and capture the traffic over aircraft common data network. Post test execution involves analyzing 
test results to find out system functional performance, timing performance, system integrity, 
system robustness and system safety related aspects. Test results analyzes [sic] are shared with 
Client's system and software engineers to identify the root cause of the problem and to find out 
suitable fix for the issue. 
The petitioner goes on to discuss the importance of the beneficiary's role as "the technical lead for the Electronic 
Brake Actuator Controller (EBAC)," and twice refers to the beneficiary by this job title. It is incumbent upon the 
petitioner to resolve any inconsistencies in the record by independent objective evidence. Any attempt to 
explain or reconcile such inconsistencies will not suffice unless the petitioner submits competent objective 
evidence pointing to where the truth lies. ,Matter of Ho, 19 I&N Dec. 582, 591-92 (BIA 1988). 
The petitioner states that, contrary to the director's conclusion, "the training program spans more than one year 
before an employee is assigned to work on a system." The petitioner apologizes, noting that it apparently 
provided only a "partial submission . . . regarding our training programs." The petitioner notes that the 
beneficiary is one of only twenty people in the company with the claimed specialized knowledge, and emphasizes 
that "eligible trainees on our critical embedded safety technologies typically have 2 or more years of industry 
experience with a good fundamental understanding of technical and electro-mechanical functionalities and 
software experience on various platforms." Finally, the petitioner emphasizes that, because the technology and 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
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processes used in its project assignments are proprietary to the company, candidates who have not worked within 
the organization are not able to perform the duties of the job offered. 
Upon review, the petitioner's assertions are not persuasive. The petitioner has not established that the 
beneficiary has specialized knowledge or that he has been or will be employed in a specialized knowledge 
capacity as defined at 8 C.F.R. 5 214.2(1)(l)(ii)(D). 
The Standard for Specialized Knowledge 
Looking to the language of the statutory definition, Congress has provided USCIS with an ambiguous definition 
of specialized knowledge. In this regard, one Federal district court explained the infeasibility of applying a 
bright-line test to define what constitutes specialized knowledge: 
This ambiguity is not merely the result of an unfortunate choice of dictionaries. It reflects the 
relativistic nature of the concept special. An item is special only in the sense that it is not 
ordinary; to define special one must first define what is ordinary. . . . There is no logical or 
principled way to determine which baseline of ordinary knowledge is a more appropriate reading 
of the statute, and there are countless other baselines which are equally plausible. Simply put, 
specialized knowledge is a relative and empty idea which cannot have a plain meaning. CJ: 
Westen, The Empty Idea of Equality, 95 Harv.L.Rev. 537 (1982). 
1756, Inc. v. Attorney General, 745 F.Supp. 9, 14-15 (D.D.C., 1990).' 
While Congress did not provide explicit guidance for what should be considered ordinary knowledge, the 
principles of statutory interpretation provide some clue as to the intended scope of the L-1B specialized 
knowledge category. NLRB v. United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 23, 484 U.S. 112, 123 (1987) 
(citing INSv. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 107 S.Ct. 1207,94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987)). 
First, the AAO must look to the language of section 214(c)(2)(B) itself, that is, the terms "special" and 
"advanced." Like the courts, the AAO customarily turns to dictionaries for help in determining whether a word in 
a statute has a plain or common meaning. See, e.g., In re A.H Robins Co., 109 F.3d 965, 967-68 (4th Cir. 1997) 
(using Webster's Dictionary for "therefore"). According to Webster's New College Dictionary, the word "special" 
is commonly found to mean "surpassing the usual" or "exceptional." Webster's New College Dictionary, 1084 
(3rd Ed. 2008). The dictionary defines the word "advanced" as "highly developed or complex" or "at a higher 
level than others." Id. at 17. 
Second, looking at the term's placement within the text of section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act, the AAO notes that 
specialized knowledge is used to describe the nature of a person's employment and that the term is listed among 
the higher levels of the employment hierarchy together with "managerial" and "executive" employees. Based on 
the context of the term within the statute, the AAO therefore would expect a specialized knowledge employee to 
I Although 1756, Inc. v. Attorney Gent!ral was decided prior to enactment of the statutory definition of 
specialized knowledge by the Immigration Act of 1990, the court's discussion of the ambiguity in the legacy 
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) definition is equally illuminating when applied to the definition 
created by Congress. 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 12 
occupy an elevated position within a company that rises above that of an ordinary or average employee. See 
1756, Inc. v. Attorney General, 745 F.Supp. at 14. 
Third, a review of the legislative history for both the original 1970 statute and the subsequent 1990 statute 
indicates that Congress intended for USCIS to closely administer the L-1B category. Specifically, the original 
drafters of section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act intended that the class of persons eligible for the L-1 classification 
would be "narrowly drawn" and "carefully regulated and monitored" by USCIS. See generally H.R. Rep. No. 91- 
851 (1970), reprinted in 1970 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2750,2754, 1970 WL 5815. The legislative history ofthe 1970 Act 
plainly states that "the number of temporary admissions under the proposed 'L' category will not be large." Id. In 
addition, the Congressional record specifically states that the L-1 category was intended for "key personnel." 
See generally, id. The term "key personnel" denotes a position within the petitioning company that is "[olf 
crucial importance." Webster S New College Dictionary 620 (3'* ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing 
Co. 2008). Moreover, during the course of the sub-committee hearings on the bill, the Chairman specifically 
questioned witnesses on the level of skill necessary to qualify under the proposed "L" category. In response 
to the Chairman's questions, various witnesses responded that they understood the legislation would allow 
"high-level people," "experts," individuals with "unique" skills, and that it would not include "lower 
categories" of workers or "skilled craft workers." See H.R. Subcomm. No. 1 of the Jud. Comm., Immigration 
Act of 1970: Hearings on H.R. 445,91" Cong. 210,218,223,240,248 (Nov. 12, 1969). 
Neither in 1970 nor in 1990 did Congress provide a controlling, unambiguous definition of "specialized 
knowledge," and a narrow interpretation is consistent with so much of the legislative intent as it is possible to 
determine. H. Rep. No. 91-85 1 at 6, 1970 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 2754. This interpretation is consistent with legislative 
history, which has been largely supportive of a narrow reading of the definition of specialized knowledge and the 
L-1 visa classification in general. See 1756, Inc. v. Attorney General, 745 F.Supp. at 15-1 6; Boi Na Braza 
Atlanta, LLC v. Upchurch, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d7 2005 WL 2372846 at *4 (N.D.Tex., 2005), afd 194 
Fed.Appx. 248 (5th Cir. 2006); Fibermaster, Ltd v. INS., Not Reported in F.Supp., 1990 WL 99327 (D.D.C., 
1990); Delta Airlines, Inc. v. Dept. of Justice, Civ. Action 00-2977-LFO (D.D.C. April 6, 2001)(on file with 
AAO). 
Further, although the Immigration Act of 1990 provided a statutory definition of the term "specialized 
knowledge" in section 214(c)(2) of the Act, the definition did not generally expand the class of persons eligible 
for L-1B specialized knowledge visas. Pub.L. No. 101-649, 5 206(b)(2), 104 Stat. 4978, 5023 (1990). Instead, 
the legislative history indicates that Congress created the statutory definition of specialized knowledge for the 
express purpose of clarifying a previously undefined term from the Immigration Act of 1970. H.R. Rep. 101- 
723(I) (1990), reprinted in 1990 U.S.C.C.A.N. 6710, 6749, 1990 WL 200418 ("One area within the L visa that 
requires more specificity relates to the term 'specialized knowledge.' Varying interpretations by INS have 
exacerbated the problem."). While the 1990 Act declined to codify the "proprietary knowledge" and "United 
States labor market" references that had existed in the previous agency definition found at 8 C.F.R. 
5 214.2(1)(l)(ii)(D) (1988), there is no indication that Congress intended to liberalize its own 1970 definition of 
the L- 1 visa classification. 
If any conclusion can be drawn from the enactment of the statutory definition of specialized knowledge in section 
214(c)(2)(B), it would be based on the nature of the Congressional clarification itself. By not including any strict 
criterion in the ultimate statutory definition and further emphasizing the relativistic aspect of "special knowledge," 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 13 
Congress created a standard that requires USClS to make a factual determination that can only be determined on a 
case-by-case basis, based on the agency's expertise and discretion. Rather than a bright-line standard that would 
support a more rigid application of the law, Congress gave the INS a more flexible standard that requires an 
adjudication based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case. C' Ponce-Leiva v. Ashcroft, 33 1 F.3d 
369,377 (3d Cir. 2003) (quoting Baires v. LYS, 856 F.2d 89,91 (9th Cir. 1988)). 
To determine what is special or advanced, USCIS must first determine the baseline of ordinary. As a 
baseline, the terms "special" or "advanced" must mean more than simply "skilled" or "experienced." By 
itself, work experience and knowledge of a firm's technically complex products will not equal "special 
knowledge." See Matter of Penner, 18 I&N Dec. 49, 53 (Comm. 1982). In general, all employees can 
reasonably be considered "important" to a petitioner's enterprise. If an employee did not contribute to the 
overall economic success of an enterprise, there would be no rational economic reason to employ that person. 
An employee of "crucial importance" or "key personnel" must rise above the level of the petitioner's average 
employee. In other words, specialized knowledge generally requires more than a short period of experience; 
otherwise special or advanced knowledge would include every employee in an organization with the 
exception of trainees and entry-level staff. If everyone in an organization is specialized, then no one can be 
considered truly specialized. Such an interpretation strips the statutory language of any efficacy and cannot 
have been what Congress intended. 
Considering the definition of specialized knowledge, it is the petitioner's, not USCIS's, burden to articulate 
and establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the beneficiary possesses "special" or "advanced" 
knowledge. Section 214(c)(2)(B) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 5 1184(c)(2)(B). USCIS cannot make a factual 
determination regarding the beneficiary's specialized knowledge if the petitioner does not, at a minimum, 
articulate with specificity the nature of the claimed specialized knowledge, describe how such knowledge is 
typically gained within the organization, and explain how and when the beneficiary gained such knowledge. 
Once the petitioner articulates the nature of the claimed specialized knowledge, it is the weight and type of 
evidence which establishes whether or not the beneficiary actually possesses specialized knowledge. A 
petitioner's assertion that the beneficiary possesses advanced knowledge of the processes and procedures of 
the company must be supported by evidence describing and distinguishing that knowledge from the 
elementary or basic knowledge possessed by others. Because "special" and "advanced" are comparative 
terms, the petitioner should provide evidence that allows USCIS to assess the beneficiary's knowledge 
relative to others in the petitioner's workforce or relative to similarly employed workers in the petitioner's 
specific industry. 
Analysis 
Upon review, the petitioner has not demonstrated that this employee possesses knowledge that may be 
deemed "special" or "advanced" under the statutory definition at, section 214(c)(2)(B) of the Act. The 
decision of the director will be affirmed as it relates to this issue and the appeal will be dismissed. 
In examining the specialized knowledge of the beneficiary, the AAO will look to the petitioner's description of 
the job duties and the weight of the evidence supporting any asserted specialized knowledge. See 8 C.F.R. 
9 214.2(1)(3)(ii). The petitioner must submit a detailed job description of the services to be performed sufficient to 
EAC 09 058 51646 
Page 14 
establish specialized knowledge. Id. At a minimum, the petitioner must articulate with specificity the nature of 
the claimed specialized knowledge. 
The petitioner in this case has failed to establish either that the beneficiary's position in the United States or 
abroad requires an employee with specialized knowledge or that the beneficiary has specialized knowledge. 
Although the petitioner repeatedly asserts that the beneficiary has been and will be employed in a "specialized 
knowledge" capacity, the petitioner has not adequately articulated any basis to support this claim. The 
petitioner has failed to identi@ any special or advanced body of knowledge which would distinguish the 
beneficiary's role from that of other similarly experienced software engineers working with embedded 
systems employed by the petitioning organization or in the avionics industry at-large. For example, the 
petitioner has stated that the duties require "in depth understanding of general aircraft fuel systems, aircraft 
cockpit interface, aircraft eIectricaI management system, aircraft &el lines, aircraft power plants and aircraft 
communication networks" and that testing of its client's systems are "developed as per DO-178B Level A 
standards." While the AAO acknowledges that the petitioner's field of expertise is much narrower than general 
"software consulting," the fact that the company's services are highly specialized, "safety critical," or targeted at a 
certain industry or industries, without more, is insufficient to establish that any individual employee within the 
company possesses or is required to utilize specialized knowledge. Other engineers working with developing 
or testing embedded software for aircraft systems would be expected to possess the same knowledge of aircraft 
systems and industry standards. The foreign entity has acknowledged that as many as ten companies in India 
"have built an expertise in the field of software development and system testing in the avionics domain, 
particularly in the safety-critical arena." The foreign entity further indicated that "more than a dozen" Indian 
companies were considered as potential contractors for [the unaffiliated employer's] B787 projects. " 
Furthermore, although the director found that certain tools used by the beneficiary to carry out his duties, 
including TechSat DataLoader, Code Composer, RTRT 6.15, McCabe Code Coverage Suite, and Windriver 
Debugger are proprietary to the petitioning company, this finding was incorrect. These technologies are described 
in an attachment to the beneficiary's resume, and, based on the descriptions provided, are testing and debugging 
tools and environments developed by other companies and used industry-wide by testing engineers. The 
beneficiary's technical skills, as listed in his resume, are in technologies which are common in his specific 
software development field, and have not been shown to involve any systems or technologies that are specific 
to the petitioner's group of companies. An experienced software engineer with a background in developing 
and testing avionics systems would be expected to possess a similar skill set. Counsel and the petitioner 
assert, however, that the position require project-specific knowledge that the beneficiary gained in India, as 
well as experience with the petitioner's processes and procedures, and therefore could not be performed by the 
typical skilled engineer. 
Specifically, the petitioner has stated that the skills, processes and methodologies required to execute the 
assigned client project are proprietary to the petitioning organization, but it has neither further elaborated 
upon nor documented the petitioner's owa internal methodology or unique processes. For example, the 
petitioner stated that the beneficiary "is very well versed in our design and architecture, testing concepts and 
processes, [company] Software Quality Management System Awareness . . . and [the company's] strategy and 
methodologies." The petitioner offered no explanatory information regarding its design and architecture, 
testing processes or quality management system or other methodologies sufficient to establish that mere 
familiarity with these internal procedures, systems and standards would rise to the level of specialized 
EAC 09 05 8 5 1646 
Page 15 
knowledge. Going on record without documentary evidence is not sufficient for purposes of meeting the 
burden of proof in these proceedings. Matter of Soflcci, 22 I&N Dec. 158, 165 (Comm. 1998) (citing Matter 
of Treasure Craft of California, 14 I&N Dec. 190 (Reg. Comm. 1972)). Specifics are clearly an important 
indication of whether a beneficiary's duties involve specialized knowledge; otherwise, meeting the definitions 
would simply be a matter of reiterating the regulations. See Fedin Bros. Co., Ltd. v. Sava, 724, F. Supp. 1103 
(E.D.N.Y. 1989), afd, 905, F.2d 41 (2d. Cir. 1990). 
Moreover, the petitioner did not attempt to explain how its processes and methodologies differ significantly 
from those utilized by other companies that offer similar services, nor has it established that the beneficiary 
has received extensive training in the company's tools, methodologies and procedures. Therefore, it cannot 
be concluded that the petitioner's processes are particularly complex or different compared to those utilized by 
other companies in the industry, or that it would take a significant amount of time to train an experienced 
avionics software engineer who had no prior experience with the petitioner's family of companies. The record 
shows that the beneficiary completed courses titled "Software Quality Assurance Process" and "Verification 
& Validation Process" which may have involved the company's specific procedures or methodologies for 
software and project development. However, the petitioner has failed to provide any information regarding 
the content or duration of such training or documentation regarding the petitioner's quality assurance or 
verification processes. The majority of the beneficiary's training appears to have involved general domain 
knowledge and technical skills pertinent to software development and testing, rather than indoctrination of 
any specific methodologies or processes specific to the petitioner's group of companies. All engineering 
consulting firms develop internal tools, methodologies, procedures and best practices for documenting project 
management and software qualify assurance activities. The petitioner cannot establish that the beneficiary 
possesses specialized knowledge by relying on his experience with unidentified and undocumented internal 
processes and methodologies. The petitioner has not demonstrated that its "proprietary" methodologies and 
tools, while effective and valuable to the petitioner, are more than customized versions of standard practices 
used in the industry. 
Furthermore, the petitioner has not clearly specified the amount or type of training its technical staff members 
typically receive in the company's internal tools, methodologies and procedures, and therefore, it cannot be 
concluded that its processes are particularly complex or different compared to those utilized by other 
companies in the industry, that the amount of training the beneficiary completed renders his knowledge 
advanced, or that it would take a significant amount of time to train an experienced engineer who had no prior 
experience with the petitioner's family of companies. The petitioner refers to a "training program" that 
employees must undergo before they can work on the 787 FQMS project, but does not identify the specific 
components of the program, the amount of time it takes to complete it, or the number of employees who have 
received the training. Going on record without supporting documentary evidence is not sufficient for 
purposes of meeting the burden of proof in these proceedings. Matter of SofJici, 22 I&N Dec. at 165 (Comm. 
1998) (citing Matter of Treasure Craft of (:alz$ornia, 14 I&N Dec. 190 (Reg. Comm. 1972)). 
Moreover, although the petitioner states that it offers a training program specific to the FQMS technology that 
is only available to those with "7 or more years of industry experience," it states elsewhere that "[flor any 
skilled worker in the industry to work on [the 787 FQMS and related projects], it requires at least 2 years of 
verification 1 development experience in safety critical domain, and it would take 1 - 1.5 years of further training 
on system verification and technical tools (e.g MPC 555, Vision ICE test set-up, NI CAN Analyzer etc.)." This 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 16 
statement implies that there is no company-specific training requirement for the proffered position and that "any 
skilled worker" with the required system verification experience would be qualified for the position. 
Overall, the minimal evidence submitted suggests that the petitioner's employees are not required to undergo 
any extensive training in the company's processes and methodologies. The petitioner indicates that the 
beneficiary completed 12 classroom-based courses, the majority of which do not appear to be clearly 
associated with the petitioner's claimed internal or proprietary tools and processes. The petitioner has not 
provided certificates of completion or other evidence indicating the content and length of his classroom 
training, so it cannot be concluded that such training imparted him with specialized knowledge. Again, going 
on record without supporting documentary evidence is not sufficient for purposes of meeting the burden of 
proof in these proceedings. Matter of Soffici, 22 I&N Dec. at 165. 
The petitioner argues that most important component of the beneficiary's purported specialized knowledge is 
his existing knowledge of the unaffiliated employer's FQMS project gained over a period of several years, and 
his "extensive understanding about the business and the processes of our client." Generally, a beneficiary's 
familiarity with the unaffiliated employer's systems and requirements, while valuable to the petitioner, cannot 
be considered knowledge specific to the petitioning organization and cannot form the basis of a determination 
that he possesses specialized knowledge. While the petitioner suggests on appeal that the FQMS technology 
itself is proprietary to the petitioning organization, the AAO finds insufficient evidence to support that claim. 
As noted above, the petitioner has submitted a copy of its general supply agreement with the unaffiliated 
employer, but has failed to provide the specific Schedule 4/Work Package Agreement, specific to the FQMS 
project. According to a letter from the unaffiliated employer, it has contracted with the petitioner "to provide 
technical support" for FQMS and other Boeing 787 programs. A review of the proposed "daily duties" 
described in the record suggests that the beneficiary will be involved in testing and verification activities for 
the Boeing 787 FQMS system, rather than developing the system or system components. Mr. Kumaran's letter 
dated January 21, 2009 further confirms this conclusion, as he stated that the beneficiary "is chosen for this 
project as he possesses the system verification skills" and is "highly competent" in working with various 
testing tools. 
The petitioner has not clearly identified the project deliverable or the services to be provided to the 
unaffiliated employer, and thus has not supported a conclusion that the contract requires it to provide a 
product or service that involves the petitioner's own internally-developed technologies or systems. In fact, 
according to the terms of the supply agreement, "all original works of authorship and all other items, 
including any source code, in any form, prepared by [the petitioning organization) . . . pursuant to this 
Agreement are works that have been specifically ordered and commissioned by [the unaffiliated employer]" 
and all intellectual property rights are owned by the unaffiliated employer. The omission of the actual work 
package agreement for the contract to which the beneficiary is assigned makes it impossible to affirmatively 
determine whether the services to be provided require the application of specialized knowledge specific to the 
petitioning organization. Again, going on record without supporting documentary evidence is not sufficient 
for purposes of meeting the burden of proof in these proceedings. Matter of Soffici, 22 I&N Dec. at 165 
(citing Matter of Treasure Craft of California, 14 I&N Dec. 190 (Reg. Comm. 1972)). 
All software engineers within the petitioning organization would reasonably be familiar with its proprietary 
internal processes and methodologies for carrying out client projects. Similarly, most employees would also 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 17 
possess project-specific knowledge relative to one or more international clients, which the petitioner would 
equate to specialized knowledge. The fact that the beneficiary possesses very specific experience with a 
particular international client project does not establish that the beneficiary's knowledge is indeed special or 
advanced. Any experienced software engineer within the petitioning organization would reasonably be 
familiar with its internal processes and methodologies for carrying out client projects. Similarly, most 
employees would also possess project-specific knowledge relative to one or more international clients and the 
client's products or systems 
All employees can be said to possess unique skill or experience to some degree. Moreover, the proprietary 
qualities of the petitioner's process or product do not establish that any knowledge of this process is 
"specialized." Rather, the petitioner must establish that qualities of the unique process or product require this 
employee to have knowledge beyond what is common in the industry. This has not been established in this 
matter. The fact that other workers may not have the same level of experience with the petitioner's 
methodologies as applied to one component of a specific client project is not enough to establish the 
beneficiary as an employee possessing specialized knowledge. 
It is appropriate for USCIS to look beyond the stated job duties and consider the importance of the 
beneficiary's knowledge of the business's product or service, management operations, or decision-making 
process. Matter of Colley, 18 I&N Dec. at 120 (citing Matter of Raulin, 13 I&N Dec. at 618 and Matter of 
LeBlanc, 13 I&N Dec. at 816). As stated by the Commissioner in Matter of Penner, when considering 
whether the beneficiaries possessed specialized knowledge, "the LeBlanc and Raulin decisions did not find 
that the occupations inherently qualified the beneficiaries for the classifications sought." 18 I&N Dec. at 52. 
Rather, the beneficiaries were considered to have unusual duties, skills, or knowledge beyond that of a skilled 
worker. Id. 
The AAO acknowledges that the specialized knowledge need not be narrowly held within the organization in 
order to be considered "advanced." However, it is equally true to state that knowledge will not be considered 
"special" or "advanced" if it is universally or even widely held throughout a company. If all similarly 
employed workers within the petitioner's organization receive essentially the same training, then mere 
possession of knowledge of the petitioner's processes and methodologies does not rise to the level of 
specialized knowledge. The L-1B visa category was not created in order to allow the transfer of all 
employees with any degree of knowledge of a company's processes. If all employees are deemed to possess 
"special" or "advanced" knowledge, then that knowledge would necessarily be ordinary and commonplace. 
The petitioner states that the beneficiary is one of only approximately 20 employees within its organization 
who possesses the unique knowledge and experience required for the proposed position. Given that the 
petitioner provides services to clients in several different industries, and has six or more ongoing projects for 
the unaffiliated employer related to the Boeing 787 aircraft alone, it is unsurprising that the number of 
employees assigned to the FQMS contract is limited to perhaps 20 or fewer. However, as noted above, the 
petitioner's attempts to distinguish the beneficiary's knowledge as advanced relative to a specific client project 
are unpersuasive. Again, all of the foreign entity's technical employees would reasonably have project- 
specific knowledge in addition to knowledge of the company's proprietary tools and processes for 
implementing projects. By this logic, any of them would qualify for L-1B classification if offered a position 
working on the same project in the United States. All employees can be said to possess uncommon and 
EAC 09 05 8 5 1646 
Page 18 
unique skill sets to some degree; however, a skill set that can be easily imparted to another similarly educated 
and generally experienced avionics software engineer is not "specialized knowledge." While the AAO 
acknowledges that there will be exceptions based on the facts of individual cases, an argument that an alien is 
unique among a small subset of workers, (i.e., one of only 20 software engineers assigned to a client project 
team) will not be deemed facially persuasive if a petitioner's definition of specialized knowledge is so broad 
that it would include the majority of its workforce. The petitioner must establish that qualities of the 
processes, procedures, and technologies require this employee to have knowledge beyond what is common in 
the industry. This has not been established in this matter. 
The AAO does not dispute the possibility that the beneficiary is a skilled employee who has been, and would 
be, an asset to the petitioner. However, as explained above, the record does not distinguish the beneficiary's 
knowledge as more advanced than the knowledge possessed by other people employed by the petitioning 
organization or by workers employed elsewhere. The beneficiary's duties and technical skills, while 
impressive, demonstrate that he possesses knowledge that is common among software engineers in the 
avionics industry. Furthermore, it is not clear that the performance of the beneficiary's duties would require 
more than basic proficiency with the company's internal processes and methodologies. The petitioner has 
failed to demonstrate that the beneficiary's training, work experience, or knowledge of the company's 
processes is more advanced than the knowledge possessed by others employed by the petitioner, or that the 
processes used by the petitioner are substantially different from those used by other engineering services 
providers in the petitioner's industry. The petitioner has failed to demonstrate that the beneficiary's 
knowledge is any more advanced or special than the knowledge held by a skilled worker. See Matter of 
Penner, 1 8 I&N Dec. at 52. 
The legislative history for the term "specialized knowledge" provides ample support for a restrictive 
interpretation of the term. In the present matter, the petitioner has not demonstrated that the beneficiary 
should be considered a member of the "narrowly drawn" class of individuals possessing specialized 
knowledge. See 1756, Inc. v. Attorney General, supra at 16. The record does not establish that the 
beneficiary has specialized knowledge or that the position offered with the United States entity requires 
specialized knowledge. 
Based on the evidence presented and applying the statute, regulations, and binding precedents, the petitioner 
has not established that the beneficiary has specialized knowledge or that he has been or would be employed 
in the United States in a capacity involving specialized knowledge. For this reason, the appeal will be 
dismissed. 
11. LlA Visa Reform Act 
The remaining issue addressed by the director is whether the petitioner has satisfied the requirements of the L-1 
Visa Reform Act prohibiting placement of L,-1B beneficiaries at the worksites of unaffiliated employers. 
One of the main purposes of the L-1 Visa Reform Act amendment was to prohibit the outsourcing of L-1B 
intracompany transferees to unaffiliated employers to work with "widely available" computer software and, 
thus, help prevent the displacement of United States workers by foreign labor. See 149 Cong. Rec. S11649, 
*S 1 1686,2003 WL 22 143 105 (September 17,2003). 
EAC 09 058 51646 
Page 19 
If a specialized knowledge beneficiary will be primarily stationed at the worksite of an unaffiliated employer, 
the statute mandates that the petitioner establish both: (1) that the beneficiary will be controlled and 
supervised principally by the petitioner, and (2) that the placement is related to the provision of a product or 
service for which specialized knowledge specific to the petitioning employer is necessary. Section 
214(c)(2)(F) of the Act. These two questions of fact must be established for the record by documentary 
evidence; neither the unsupported assertions of counsel or the employer will suffice to establish eligibility. 
Matter of Soflci, 22 I&N Dec. 158, 165 (Comm. 1998); Matter of Obaigbena, 19 I&N Dec. at 534. 
If the petitioner fails to establish both of these elements, the beneficiary will be deemed ineligible for 
classification as an L-1B intracompany transferee. As with all nonimmigrant petitions, the petitioner bears 
the burden of proving eligibility. Section 291 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 5 1361; see also 8 C.F.R. 9 103.2(b)(l). 
A. Threshold Question: Worksite of Beneficiary 
As a threshold question in the analysis, USCIS must examine whether the beneficiary will be stationed 
primarily at the worksite of the cliendunaffiliated company. Section 214(c)(2)(F) of the Act. The petitioner 
indicated on the Form 1-129 petition that the beneficiary will be employed at its own offices located in 
Edison, New Jersey. In response to Question 13 on the Form 1-129 Supplement L, the petitioner answered 
"No" when asked: "Will the beneficiary be stationed primarily offsite (at the worksite of an employer other 
than the petitioner or its affiliate, subsidiary, or parent)?" 
However, the documentary evidence in the record supports a finding that the beneficiary will be stationed at 
the unaffiliated employer's worksite located in Vergennes, Vermont. The record contains a letter of 
deputation from the foreign entity addressed to the beneficiary, which indicates that his assignment is to the 
unaffiliated employer in Vergennes for a period of one year to work on the FQMS project. The petitioner also 
submitted a letter from the unaffiliated employer inviting the beneficiary "to visit our [company] facility in 
Vergennes, VT to continue his work on the 787 FQMS project, which may take an additional 6-8 months to 
complete." 
The director determined that the beneficiary will be stationed primarily at the worksite of the 
cliendunaffiliated employer and therefore the provisions of Section 2 14(c)(2)(F) are applicable. The petitioner 
has made no objection to this determination. 
The petitioner therefore must establish both: (1) that the beneficiary will be controlled and supervised 
principally by the petitioner, and (2) that the placement is related to the provision of a product or service for 
which specialized knowledge specific to the petitioning employer is necessary. Section 214(c)(2)(F) of the 
Act. 
B. Control and Supervision of Beneficiary 
Under section 214(c)(2)(F)(i) of the Act, the petitioner must establish that the beneficiary will be controlled 
and supervised principally by the petitioner, and not by the unaffiliated employer. 
At the time of filing, the petitioner submitted a letter dated October 31, 2008 from 
- 
EAC 09 058 5 1646 
Page 20 
Subcontracts Administrator of the unaffiliated employer, who stat 
Projects and in charge of the operation of the petitioner's U.S. office. 
"delegates the staff to the project according to their skills set and monitors the progress and delivery of the 
project according to the needs of [the unaffiliated employer]." 
In the request for evidence issued on December 23, 2008, the director requested that the petitioner submit a 
copy of the contract for services between the petitioner and the employer where the beneficiary will be 
primarily stationed. The director advised that, if the contract does not contain information specific to the 
terms and conditions of the alien's employment, the petitioner should submit an addendum to the contract, 
signed by representatives of the petitioner and the unaffiliated employer, which establishes the following: (1) 
who retains authority to hire and fire the person performing the duties of the position; who is responsible for 
administering the alien's time and pay; (3) to what degree the beneficiary will be controlled and supervised by 
the offsite employer compared to the petitioner; and (4) the number of the petitioner's employers currently at 
the unaffiliated employer's worksite and a description of supervision and management structure for such 
employees; and (5) the means by which the company will supervise and control the beneficiary and his work 
at the unaffiliated employer's worksite. 
In response, counsel for the petitioner stated that "the beneficiary will be supervised and controlled 100 per 
cent by the employer and not the client" and that "the employer retains authority to hire, fire, control and 
direct the work of the beneficiary." Counsel stated that "[the unaffiliated employer] has also confirmed this." 
noted that the company does not currently have any employees at the client's worksite. 
With respect to the beneficiary's supervision, stated: 
[The beneficiary] will report to who is based in India. 
1 will monitor the progress of the project and the daily worklduties of [the 
beneficiary] through the Daily reports and weekly reports he receives from [the beneficiary]. 
For this reason will work in our India office matching operational times of our 
US office. The Onsite manager for our U.S. office, will travel to US office to 
monitor the work of the employees and liaise with our client. . . regarding any issues, updates 
and progress. 
The petitioner submitted a project organizational chart indicating that serves as a project 
manager responsible for three projects undertaken for the unaffiliated employer, including FQMS, EBAC and 
MRTT. 
The petitioner also submitted the supply agreement between the unaffiliated employer and the foreign entity. 
Section 3 of the agreement addresses staffing and indicates that the foreign entity "shall assign appropriately 
qualified Staff to perform the Service," while the unaffiliated employer has the option, upon notice "to specify 
appropriate qualifications required of [the foreign entity's] staff to perform the Service," and "to approve the 
assignment of any Staff to perform the Service." The foreign entity may make employee substitutions and 
withdrawals; however the foreign entity cannot make substitutions or withdrawals of key individuals over the 
valid objections of the unaffiliated employer. The foreign entity may also employ subcontractors for the 
execution of the agreement if it seeks and obtains prior written approval from the unaffiliated employer. 
EAC 09 058 51646 
Page 2 1 
According to the terms of the agreement, the foreign entity's employees are expected to comply with the 
unaffiliated employer's security requirements, codes of practice and rules while on-site, and the unaffiliated 
employer "shall be empowered to remove any [petitioning company] representative from [the unaffiliated 
employer's] site without recourse or explanation." 
In addition, the petitioner attached an addendum to the agreement, dated January 20,2009, which is signed by 
both the foreign entity and a representative of the unaffiliated employer. According to the addendum, the 
foreign entity's head of human resources is the person authorized to recruit or terminate the services of an 
employee engaged in a project for the unaffiliated employer, while is authorized to administer 
time and pay, and to assign and monitor employees' duties. The agreement further indicates that the project 
manager receives the project requirements from the unaffiliated employer, communicates the requirements to 
the petitioner's staff, receives reports from staff, and provides the unaffiliated employer with the status of the 
project. 
The director denied the petition determining that the supply agreement submitted does not demonstrate that 
the beneficiary would be supervised and controlled principally by the petitioning company. The director 
emphasized that the agreement allows the unaffiliated employer to determine the necessary qualifications of 
the petitioner's employees assigned to the project, to approve the removal or replacement of any employee 
and to remove employees at will. 
On appeal, counsel for the petitioner asserts that the employer has shown the beneficiary will be controlled by 
his employer and not by the client, and that the client has equally acknowledged this fact in a separate 
document already submitted. 
In its letter submitted on appeal, the petitioner further states: 
Although we have to work closely with [the unaffiliated employer] . . . to develop these 
critical technologies over the years, they have never had to control our employees. They 
cannot control our employees because they do not have the technology and do not know the 
products that we deploy to develop the critical systems. If they had the technologies, they will 
not need our services. If they do not know the technologies, it is clearly evident that they 
cannot control what our employees do. 
Upon review, the petitioner has not established that the beneficiary will be controlled and supervised 
principally by the petitioner, and not by the unaffiliated employer. The major deficiency in the evidence 
submitted is the lack of a "scope of work" specific to the services the beneficiary will be performing for the 
client in the United States. As noted above, the general Supply Agreement signed by the petitioner and the 
unaffiliated employer in 2006 specifically states that individual Work Package Agreements will be prepared 
for projects and that scope of work applicable to each project will be set forth therein. Without this critical 
information, the AAO cannot determine whether the petitioner had any separate agreements in place 
pertaining to the work to be performed by the petitioner's employees while at the client's worksite. 
Furthermore, the petitioner's claim that the unaffiliated employer does not have the technical knowledge to 
oversee the petitioner's employees is unsupported by the record absent the formal description of the actual 
EAC 09 058 51646 
Page 22 
services to be provided under the agreement. Going on record without supporting documentary evidence is 
not sufficient for purposes of meeting the burden of proof in these proceedings. Matter of SofJici, 22 I&N 
Dec. 158, 165 (Comm. 1998) (citing Matter of Treasure Craft of California, 14 I&N Dec. 190 (Reg. Comm. 
1972)). 
Based on the foregoing, the petitioner has failed to meet its burden of establishing that the beneficiary would 
be controlled and supervised principally by the petitioning company and has not satisfied the requirements of 
section 214(c)(2)(F)(i) of the Act. For this additional reason, the petition must be denied. 
C. Necessity of Specialized Knowledge Specific to the Petitioning Employer 
The second issue under the L-1 Visa Reform Act analysis is whether the petitioner has established that the 
beneficiary's placement is related to the provision of a product or service for which specialized knowledge 
specific to the petitioning employer is necessary. Section 214(c)(2)(F)(ii) of the Act. As discussed below, the 
petition also fails to meet the requirements of this section of the Act. 
In denying the petition, the director concluded that the placement of the beneficiary at the worksite of the 
unaffiliated employer is to work on and maintain the client's systems, and not primarily to work "on processes 
that are specific to your company." The director observed that the "beneficiary's value to the client project 
appears directly and primarily related to his continuing to gain knowledge of [the unaffiliated employer's] 
internal processes and methodologies," and that "a majority of the beneficiary's purported specialized 
knowledge hinges upon his acquired knowledge of [the unaffiliated employer's] internal processes." 
The petitioner's arguments with reference to the beneficiary's specialized knowledge have been discussed at 
length above and will not be repeated here. 
The petitioner's assertions are not persuasive. The petitioner has not established that the beneficiary's 
placement at the unaffiliated employer's worksite is related to the provision of a product or service for which 
specialized knowledge specific to the petitioning employer is necessary. Section 214(c)(2)(F)(ii) of the Act. 
The petitioner must demonstrate in the first instance that the beneficiary's offsite employment is connected 
with the provision of the petitioner's product or service which necessitates specialized knowledge that is 
speczjic to the petitioning employer. If the petitioner fails to prove this element, the beneficiary's employment 
will be deemed an impermissible arrangement to provide "labor for hire" under the terms of the L-1 Visa 
Reform Act. 
As discussed above, the petitioner has not submitted a copy of the Statement of Work governing the services 
to be provided by the beneficiary at the unaffiliated employer's worksite. The information contained in the 
record indicates that the petitioner is providing "technical support" for the FQMS system being developed by 
the unaffiliated employer for Boeing, and that such support includes ongoing testing and verification of the 
system. There is insufficient evidence to establish that the client contracted with the petitioner to implement 
any system, product, processes, or tools of the petitioning company within the scope of the services to be 
performed at the client's worksite. While it may be common in the petitioner's industry for multiple 
companies to work on different aspects of a specialized product, component or system, it has not been 
EAC 09 058 51646 
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established in this case that the client chose to contract the petitioning company specifically to provide a 
product or service that is not available elsewhere. The foreign entity indicated that it was chosen as the 
subcontractor for several Boeing 787 projects among a dozen or so Indian companies with similar 
capabilities. 
While it is possible that the beneficiary here possesses knowledge that is directly related to both the petitioner 
and the unaffiliated employer's product or service, it is incumbent upon the petitioner to establish that the 
position for which the beneficiary's services are sought is one that requires knowledge specific to the 
petitioner. Here, the petitioner has failed to provide corroborating evidence demonstrating that the 
beneficiary's placement with the unaffiliated employer is related to the provision of a product or service for 
which specialized knowledge specific to the petitioning employer is necessary. For this additional reason, the 
petition cannot be approved. 
The petition will be denied and the appeal dismissed for the above stated reasons, with each considered as 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 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. $ 1361. 
Here, that burden has not been met. 
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed.