Matter of O-A-, Inc.

April 17, 2017 PM-602-0144 Policy Memorandum SUBJECT: Matter of O-A-, Inc., Adopted Decision 2017-03 (AAO Apr. 17, 2017) This policy memorandum (PM) designates the attached decision of the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) in Matter of O-A-, Inc. as an Adopted Decision. Accordingly, this adopted decision establishes policy guidance that applies to and binds all U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees. USCIS personnel are directed to follow the reasoning in this decision in similar cases. Matter of O-A-, Inc. clarifies that USCIS must conduct a case-specific analysis to determine whether, at the time a provisional certificate is issued, a beneficiary has completed all substantive requirements to earn the degree and the university or college has approved the degree. If the provisional certificate does so demonstrate, USCIS will consider the date of the provisional certificate for purposes of calculating post-baccalaureate experience. Use This PM is intended solely for the guidance of USCIS personnel in the performance of their official duties. It is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or by any individual or other party in removal proceedings, in litigation with the United States, or in any other form or manner. Contact Information Questions or suggestions regarding this PM should be addressed through appropriate directorate channels to the AAO.

2017年4月17日 PM-602-0144 政策备忘录 主题：Matter of O-A-, Inc.，已采纳决定 2017-03（AAO 2017年4月17日） 本政策备忘录（PM）将行政上诉办公室（AAO）在 Matter of O-A-, Inc. 案中附上的决定指定为已采纳决定。因此，该已采纳决定确立了适用于并约束所有美国公民及移民服务局（USCIS）雇员的政策指导。USCIS人员被指示在类似案件中遵循本决定的推理。 Matter of O-A-, Inc. 澄清，USCIS必须进行个案特定分析，以确定在颁发临时证书时，受益人是否已完成获得该学位的所有实质性要求，并且大学或学院是否已批准该学位。如果临时证书确实证明了这一点，USCIS将为计算学士后经验之目的考虑临时证书的日期。 使用 本PM仅供USCIS人员履行公务时参考。其无意、也不得被依赖以创设任何权利或利益，无论是实体性的还是程序性的，可在法律上或由任何个人或其他当事人在驱逐程序中、在与美国的诉讼中或以任何其他形式或方式强制执行。 联系信息 有关本PM的问题或建议应通过适当的局渠道向AAO提出。

ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS OFFICE U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES

行政上诉办公室 美国公民及移民服务局

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

国土安全部

April 17, 2017[1]

2017年4月17日[1]

(1) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must conduct a case-specific analysis to determine whether, at the time a provisional certificate is issued, a beneficiary has completed all substantive requirements to earn the degree and the university or college has approved the degree. USCIS must consider evidence presented regarding the individual nature of each university’s or college’s requirements for each program of study and each student’s completion of those requirements. (2) If a petitioner establishes that, as of the date the provisional certificate was issued, the beneficiary had met all substantive requirements for the degree and that the degree was approved, USCIS will consider the date of the provisional certificate for purposes of calculating post-graduate experience. FOR THE PETITIONER: Monica M. Bathija, Esquire, San Francisco, California The Petitioner, a computer software business, seeks to employ the Beneficiary as a software developer. It requests classification of the Beneficiary as a member of the professions holding an advanced degree under the second preference immigrant classification. See Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act) section 203(b)(2), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(2). This “EB-2” classification allows a U.S. employer to sponsor a professional with an advanced degree for an immigrant visa to pursue lawful permanent resident status. A bachelor’s degree alone does not qualify as an “advanced degree,” but a bachelor’s degree and an additional five years of post-baccalaureate progressive experience will suffice for EB-2 classification purposes.

(1) 美国公民及移民服务局（USCIS）必须进行个案特定分析，以确定在颁发临时证书时，受益人是否已完成获得该学位的所有实质性要求，并且大学或学院是否已批准该学位。USCIS必须考虑就每所大学或学院对每个学习项目的要求的个体性质以及每个学生对这些要求的完成情况所提交的证据。 (2) 如果申请人证明，截至临时证书颁发之日，受益人已满足该学位的所有实质性要求且该学位已获批准，USCIS将为计算研究生经验之目的考虑临时证书的日期。 申请人代表：Monica M. Bathija，律师，加利福尼亚州旧金山 申请人是一家计算机软件企业，寻求雇用受益人作为软件开发者。它请求将受益人归类为根据第二优先移民分类持有高级学位的专业人士成员。见《移民与国籍法》（该法）第203(b)(2)条，8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(2)。此“EB-2”分类允许美国雇主为持有高级学位的专业人士担保移民签证以寻求合法永久居民身份。仅学士学位不符合“高级学位”的资格，但学士学位加上额外五年的学士后渐进经验将足以满足EB-2分类目的。

Matter of O-A-, Inc. Adopted Decision The Director of the Nebraska Service Center found that, based on the issuance date of the Beneficiary’s bachelor’s degree diploma, the Beneficiary could not show, as required, a minimum of five years of post-baccalaureate experience to establish that she possesses the equivalent of an advanced degree. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the Beneficiary does have the five years of post- baccalaureate experience, when measured from the date she received a provisional certificate demonstrating her degree was complete and approved and not from the date when the diploma itself was later issued. Upon de novo review, we will sustain the appeal.

Matter of O-A-, Inc. 已采纳决定 内布拉斯加服务中心主任认定，根据受益人学士学位文凭的颁发日期，受益人无法按要求显示至少五年的学士后经验，以证明她拥有相当于高级学位的资格。 在上诉中，申请人主张，如果从她收到证明其学位已完成并获批准的临时证书之日起算，而非从文凭本身后来颁发之日起算，受益人确实拥有五年的学士后经验。 经重新审查，我们将维持上诉。

I. LAW Employment-based immigration generally follows a three-step process. First, an employer must obtain an approved labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). See section 212(a)(5)(A)(i) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(5)(A)(i). By approving the labor certification, DOL certifies that there are insufficient U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available for the offered position and that employing a foreign national in the position will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers similarly employed. Section 212(a)(5)(A)(i)(I)-(II) of the Act. Second, the employer may file an immigrant visa petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). See section 204(a)(1)(F) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1154(a)(1)(F). Third, if USCIS approves the petition, the foreign national may apply for an immigrant visa abroad or, if eligible, adjustment of status in the United States. See sections 221 and 245 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1201, 1255. For this advanced degree professional position, the labor certification must provide that the job requires an advanced degree or its equivalent. See 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(4)(i). In pertinent part, Department of Homeland Security regulations define the term “advanced degree” as: “[A]ny United States academic or professional degree or a foreign equivalent degree above that of baccalaureate. A United States baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent degree followed by at least five years of progressive experience in the specialty shall be considered the equivalent of a master’s degree.” 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(2) (emphasis added). To be eligible for this EB-2 classification solely on the basis of a foreign degree equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, a beneficiary must also possess five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience. 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(i)(B).

I. 法律 基于就业的移民通常遵循三步流程。首先，雇主必须从美国劳工部（DOL）获得批准的劳工证。见该法第212(a)(5)(A)(i)条，8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(5)(A)(i)。通过批准劳工证，DOL证明没有足够的美国工人能够、愿意、合格且可胜任所提供职位，并且雇用外国国民担任该职位不会对类似就业工人的工资和工作条件产生不利影响。该法第212(a)(5)(A)(i)(I)-(II)条。其次，雇主可以向美国公民及移民服务局（USCIS）提交移民签证申请。见该法第204(a)(1)(F)条，8 U.S.C. § 1154(a)(1)(F)。第三，如果USCIS批准申请，外国国民可以在国外申请移民签证，或者如果符合资格，在美国调整身份。见该法第221条和第245条，8 U.S.C. §§ 1201, 1255。 对于此高级学位专业人士职位，劳工证必须规定该工作要求高级学位或同等学历。见8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(4)(i)。在相关部分，国土安全部法规将“高级学位”一词定义为：“[A]任何美国学术或专业学位或高于学士学位的外国同等学位。美国学士学位或外国同等学位后加上至少五年专业领域的渐进经验应被视为相当于硕士学位。”8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(2)（强调添加）。仅基于相当于美国学士学位的外国学位而符合此EB-2分类资格，受益人还必须拥有五年合格学士后经验。8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(i)(B)。

II. ANALYSIS

II. 分析

The Beneficiary possesses a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in India. The issue presented here is not whether the Beneficiary’s degree counts or whether her post-degree experience qualifies as progressive experience. The only remaining issue is when JNTU conferred the “degree” to the Beneficiary, after which date we may credit her progressive experience to qualify for EB-2 classification. More

受益人拥有印度贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁技术大学（JNTU）的电子工程学士学位。此处提出的问题不是受益人的学位是否算数，或者她的学位后经验是否符合渐进经验。唯一剩余的问题是JNTU何时向受益人授予“学位”，在该日期之后我们可以将她的渐进经验计入以满足EB-2分类资格。更

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Matter of O-A-, Inc. Adopted Decision specifically, we explore here whether the five years of experience can only be measured from when she received the formal diploma itself, or earlier, when she completed all the requirements for the degree and received what is commonly termed a provisional certificate reflecting that her degree was approved. We conclude that, based on the specific circumstances and evidence in this case, the provisional certificate constitutes her official academic record of her “degree” for purposes of calculating the five-year period of post-graduate experience. Several dates are critical to this case. The date the labor certification is filed, in cases such as this one, is called the “priority date.” See 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(d). A beneficiary must be eligible as of that date, and so in this case the Beneficiary must have had the five years’ requisite experience by the date the labor certification was filed. See 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(1). The Beneficiary’s priority date is October 23, 2014. JNTU issued her a provisional certificate on May 17, 2006, but she did not receive her formal diploma until March 30, 2007. The record establishes that she accrued four years and eight months of qualifying experience from a combination of three employers during this period between her diploma date and her priority date. The Director thus concluded that the Beneficiary fell just short of the five year requirement and denied the petition. On appeal, the Petitioner maintains that the Beneficiary did accrue the requisite five years of post- baccalaureate experience if we recognize that her “degree” was conferred on the earlier date of her provisional certificate, or May 17, 2006. The Beneficiary began working in a qualifying capacity a few weeks later, in June 2006, and nearly a year before she received her formal diploma. So the Beneficiary has the required five years of experience if measured from the date of her provisional certificate, but not if measured from the date of her diploma. The statute and regulations governing the EB-2 classification speak in terms of “degrees,” not diplomas. So, from the outset, it is clear that we cannot simply limit our analysis to the date on which a university confers a formal diploma on its newest alumni. Applicable EB-2 regulations reflect this distinction. For these EB-2 “bachelor plus five” petitions, the “initial evidence” rule requires submission of an “official academic record” showing the beneficiary has a foreign equivalent “degree.” 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(i)(B). An “official academic record” is not limited to a formal diploma.2 In fact, in the very next provision – relating to EB-2 exceptional ability petitions – the initial evidence rule expressly distinguishes between degree and diploma: “[a]n official academic record showing that the alien has a degree, diploma, certificate, or similar award from a college, university,….” 8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(ii)(A) (emphasis added).3

Matter of O-A-, Inc. 已采纳决定 具体而言，我们在此探讨五年经验是否只能从她收到正式文凭本身时起算，还是更早，即当她完成学位所有要求并收到通常称为临时证书的文件，反映她的学位已获批准时起算。我们得出结论，基于本案的具体情况和证据，临时证书构成她“学位”的官方学术记录，用于计算五年研究生经验期间之目的。 几个日期对本案至关重要。在像本案这样的案件中，劳工证提交的日期称为“优先日期”。见8 C.F.R. § 204.5(d)。受益人必须在该日期符合资格，因此在本案中受益人必须在劳工证提交之日已具备五年所需经验。见8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(1)。受益人的优先日期是2014年10月23日。JNTU于2006年5月17日向她颁发了临时证书，但她直到2007年3月30日才收到正式文凭。记录证明，在她文凭日期和优先日期之间的这段时间，她从三个雇主的组合中累积了四年零八个月的合格经验。因此，主任得出结论，受益人刚好未达到五年要求并拒绝了申请。 在上诉中，申请人主张，如果我们承认她的“学位”是在临时证书的较早日期，即2006年5月17日授予的，受益人确实累积了所需的五年学士后经验。受益人在几周后，即2006年6月，开始以合格身份工作，比她收到正式文凭早了近一年。因此，如果从临时证书日期起算，受益人拥有所需的五年经验，但如果从文凭日期起算则没有。 管辖EB-2分类的法规和条例使用的是“学位”一词，而非文凭。因此，从一开始就清楚，我们不能简单地将分析局限于大学向其最新校友颁发正式文凭的日期。适用的EB-2法规反映了这一区别。对于这些EB-2“学士加五年”申请，“初始证据”规则要求提交“官方学术记录”，显示受益人拥有外国同等“学位”。8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(i)(B)。“官方学术记录”不限于正式文凭。2 事实上，在紧接着的下一条款——关于EB-2特殊才能申请——初始证据规则明确区分了学位和文凭：“[a]官方学术记录显示该外国人拥有来自学院、大学……的学位、文凭、证书或类似奖项……。”8 C.F.R. § 204.5(k)(3)(ii)(A)（强调添加）。3

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Matter of O-A-, Inc. Adopted Decision Accordingly, we must conduct a case-specific analysis to determine whether, at the time a provisional certificate is issued, the individual has completed all substantive requirements to earn the degree and the college or university has approved the degree. We must consider evidence presented regarding the individual nature of each university’s or college’s requirements for each program of study and each student’s completion of those requirements. A petitioner will bear the burden to establish that a beneficiary’s provisional certificate reflects that, at the time the certificate was issued, all of the substantive requirements for the degree were met and the degree was in fact approved by the responsible college or university body.4 Here, the record contains the following university documents contemporaneous with the relevant events: (1) a copy of the Beneficiary’s statement of marks showing that she passed the final exams; (2) a copy of the Beneficiary’s provisional certificate issued on May 17, 2006, which states that the Beneficiary passed the “B.Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering Examination,” and that the Beneficiary “has satisfied all the requirements for the award of the B.Tech Degree of the [JNTU];” and (3) a copy of the Beneficiary’s diploma that the JNTU issued on March 30, 2007. In addition, the Petitioner submitted a February 2016 letter from JNTU’s director of evaluation stating that the Beneficiary’s provisional certificate is proof of her completion of all the degree requirements in May 2006 and that issuance of her diploma was delayed for administrative reasons. The record therefore demonstrates that, as of May 2006, the Beneficiary had completed all substantive requirements for the degree and the university had in fact approved the degree. Finally, we have turned to information publicly available from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) Electronic Database for Global Education (EDGE),5 and note that it accords with the Petitioner’s claim and evidence. On the matter of provisional certificates issued by recognized Indian universities, AACRAO EDGE states:

Matter of O-A-, Inc. 已采纳决定 因此，我们必须进行针对具体案件的分析，以确定在签发临时证书时，该个人是否已完成获得该学位的所有实质性要求，且该学院或大学是否已批准该学位。我们必须考虑就每所大学或学院对每个学习项目的要求的个人性质以及每名学生对这些要求的完成情况所提交的证据。申请人将承担举证责任，证明受益人的临时证书反映出：在证书签发时，该学位的所有实质性要求均已满足，且该学位事实上已由负责的学院或大学机构批准。4 在此，记录中包含与相关事件同时期的以下大学文件：（1）受益人成绩单（statement of marks）的副本，显示其通过了期末考试；（2）受益人于2006年5月17日签发的临时证书副本，其中载明受益人通过了“B.Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering Examination”，且受益人“已满足[JNTU]授予B.Tech学位的所有要求”；以及（3）JNTU于2007年3月30日签发的受益人文凭副本。此外，申请人提交了JNTU评估主任2016年2月的信函，其中说明受益人的临时证书证明其已于2006年5月完成所有学位要求，其文凭的签发因行政原因而延迟。因此，记录表明，截至2006年5月，受益人已完成该学位的所有实质性要求，且该大学事实上已批准该学位。 最后，我们查阅了美国大学注册与招生官员协会（AACRAO）全球教育电子数据库（EDGE）5公开可获取的信息，并注意到其与申请人的主张和证据一致。关于经认可的印度大学签发的临时证书，AACRAO EDGE指出：

The Provisional Degree Certificate is evidence of completion of all requirements for the degree in question, the name of the degree and the date upon which it was approved by the responsible university governing body, and is comparable to an official US academic transcript with a degree statement certifying completion of all requirements for the degree, the name of the degree and the date upon which it was approved by the academic senate at universities in the United States.6

临时学位证书是完成所涉学位所有要求的证据，其中载明学位名称及负责的大学治理机构批准该学位的日期，并且相当于美国官方学业成绩单附有学位声明，证明已完成该学位的所有要求、载明学位名称以及美国各大学学术评议会批准该学位的日期。6

4 Along with any other proffered evidence, petitioners must also submit a copy of a beneficiary’s statement of marks or transcript to demonstrate years of study, and coursework completed, along with a copy of the provisional certificate. See 8 C.F.R § 204.5(k)(3) (requiring the submission of an official academic record as evidence of a beneficiary’s possession of an advanced degree or equivalent of an advanced degree). 5 AACRAO is “a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association of more than 11,000 higher education professionals who represent approximately 2,600 institutions in over 40 countries.” http://www4.aacrao.org/centennial/about.htm (last visited Mar. 15, 2017). According to its registration page, EDGE is “a web-based resource for the evaluation of foreign educational credentials.” http://edge.aacrao.org/info.php (last visited Mar. 15, 2017). 6 See India: Provisional Degree Certificate, AACRAO, http://edge.aacrao.org/country/credential/provisional-degree- certificate (last visited Mar. 15, 2017).

4 连同任何其他提交的证据，申请人还必须提交受益人的成绩单（statement of marks）或学业成绩单副本，以证明学习年限和已完成的课程，并附上临时证书副本。见8 C.F.R § 204.5(k)(3)（要求提交官方学业记录，作为受益人拥有高级学位或高级学位同等学历的证据）。 5 AACRAO是“一个非营利、自愿性的专业协会，由超过11,000名高等教育专业人士组成，他们代表40多个国家的约2,600所院校。”http://www4.aacrao.org/centennial/about.htm（最后访问于2017年3月15日）。根据其注册页面，EDGE是“一个用于评估外国教育资历的网络资源。”http://edge.aacrao.org/info.php（最后访问于2017年3月15日）。 6 见India: Provisional Degree Certificate, AACRAO, http://edge.aacrao.org/country/credential/provisional-degree-certificate（最后访问于2017年3月15日）。

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Matter of O-A-, Inc. Adopted Decision EDGE additionally notes that some students never receive their “final Degree Certificate,” but instead rely on the provisional degree certificate as evidence of degree completion.7

Matter of O-A-, Inc. 已采纳决定 EDGE还指出，一些学生从未收到其“最终学位证书”，而是依赖临时学位证书作为学位完成的证据。7

III. CONCLUSION The provisional certificate, together with her statement of marks, demonstrates that the Beneficiary completed all the substantive requirements for her degree and that the university approved her degree. Issuance of the provisional certificate conferred the foreign equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Applying the provisional certificate date, we also find that she obtained at least five years of qualifying post-baccalaureate experience. Accordingly, the Petitioner has established that the Beneficiary meets the minimum education and experience requirements of the labor certification and of EB-2 classification. ORDER: The appeal is sustained. Cite as Matter of O-A-, Inc., Adopted Decision 2017-03 (AAO Apr. 17, 2017)

III. 结论 临时证书连同其成绩单表明，受益人已完成其学位的所有实质性要求，且该大学已批准其学位。临时证书的签发赋予了相当于美国学士学位的外国同等学历。适用临时证书的日期，我们还认定其获得了至少五年的合格学士后经验。因此，申请人已证明受益人满足劳工证和EB-2分类的最低学历和经验要求。 命令： 上诉获准。 引用为Matter of O-A-, Inc., Adopted Decision 2017-03 (AAO Apr. 17, 2017)

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