NIW Bearings
dismissedNOV252020_02B52032020-11-25 · appeal · Texas Service Center

This is an AAO appeal decision — a case denied once and appealed. It shows how the framework is applied; it is not the filing population.

The Petitioner, a marketing professional specializing in IT, proposed to continue working in marketing/sales for a technology company's retail, travel, and transportation divisions, while also assisting other companies with IT/technology consulting and positioning.

Field: marketing/IT consulting · Read the decision (uscis.gov)

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

the relevant question is not the importance of the industry or profession in which the individual will work; instead we focus on the "the specific endeavor that the foreign national proposes to undertake."
This projected shortage of workers in the U.S. IT industry is not sufficient to demonstrate the national importance of any particular marketing or IT consulting work proposed by the Petitioner.
we conclude the record does not show that the Petitioner's proposed endeavor stands to sufficiently extend beyond D and her clientele to impact the marketing field, IT industry, or U.S. economy more broadly
the Petitioner has not demonstrated that the specific endeavor she proposes to undertake has significant potential to employ U.S. workers or otherwise offers substantial positive economic effects
the record does not show that benefits to the U.S. regional or national economy resulting from the Petitioner's projects would reach the level of "substantial positive economic effects"

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

  • recommendation letter · discounted
    we will consider information about this position to illustrate the capacity in which she intends to work
    AAO decision text
  • other · discounted
    A shortage of qualified professionals alone does not render the work of an individual IT marketing specialist nationally important
    AAO decision text
  • resume experience · ignored
    The Petitioner's claims regarding her education, skills, knowledge, and job experience relate to the second prong
    AAO decision text

Where this case turned

  • Economic claims unsupported · p1job/revenue projections with no corroborating basis
  • Employer-specific benefit · p1"work furthers my company's product" — value accrues to one firm
  • Endeavor too vague · p1described as a job role, not a defined undertaking
  • Field importance conflated with endeavor · p1argues the field matters, not the specific endeavor
  • Local, not national scope · p1impact confined to clients / a region
  • Occupational shortage argument rejected · p1argues a labor shortage — the labor-certification question, not Dhanasar
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Notable

The AAO dismissed on prong 1 alone, expressly declining to reach prongs 2 and 3, and noted that labor-shortage arguments are more properly addressed via the labor certification process or under the prong 3 balancing test in a footnote.

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.

  • INA 203(b)(2)
  • Poursina v. USCIS

Cases in adjacent profiles