The Petitioner proposed to start a U.S. company manufacturing and selling eco-friendly furniture made from reused materials, and to offer consulting services to other furniture manufacturers on sustainable manufacturing techniques.

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

“the Petitioner did not establish that his proposed endeavor has national importance”

“the Petitioner had not adequately outlined the basis for the prospective economic growth or otherwise demonstrated an impact extending beyond his customers and the operations of his business”

“the Petitioner has not demonstrated how the economic activity directly resulting from his proposed endeavor would rise to a level commensurate with national importance”

“the Petitioner does not point to any evidence that might show the prospective broad impact of his specific endeavor in the furniture manufacturing industry”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

• business plan · discounted

  “the Petitioner has not demonstrated that his specific endeavor will result in broader economic impact”

  AAO decision text
• motion resubmission · discounted

  “he has not demonstrated that our determination was based on an incorrect application of law or policy”

  AAO decision text
• other · discounted

  “his general statements on motion...are not sufficient to establish the requisite national importance of his specific proposed endeavor”

  AAO decision text

Where this case turned

• Economic claims unsupported · p1 — job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
• Field importance conflated with endeavor · p1 — argues the field matters, not the specific endeavor
• Local, not national scope · p1 — impact confined to clients / a region

Notable

This is a second motion to reconsider following a dismissed appeal and a dismissed first motion to reconsider; the AAO addresses the Petitioner's argument that it improperly equated substantial economic effects with job creation, and rejects reliance on U.S. Census Bureau data placing the business in the top 6% of U.S. businesses by economic activity, as well as an argument tying the endeavor to the current administration's domestic manufacturing policy goals.

Authorities this decision leans on

From the doctrinal survivor set — 187 authority tests across 47 distinct authorities cleared the differential-lift gates. Only those appear here.

• 8 C.F.R. 103.5

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