The Petitioner, a barber, barber instructor and manager, sought to develop a vocational training program offering free classes and apprenticeships in the barber/personal care field and to grow a business with claimed economic effects.

Prong 1 — national importancenot established · dispositive

“the record did not corroborate the economic impact of the proposed endeavor”

“His plans to provide free classes and apprenticeships, which, while worthwhile, lack more developed proposals that would demonstrate an impact on the field of vocational training.”

“the Petitioner's business plan lacks corroborating data to establish how the business would achieve these goals”

AAO decision text

How the evidence was treated

• business plan · discounted

  “the Petitioner's business plan lacks corroborating data to establish how the business would achieve these goals”

  AAO decision text
• certification membership · discounted

  “The resubmission of course certificates, letters of recommendation, and evidence of his salary are not new facts”

  AAO decision text
• recommendation letter · discounted

  “The resubmission of course certificates, letters of recommendation, and evidence of his salary are not new facts”

  AAO decision text
• motion resubmission · discounted

  “he reiterates many of the arguments made on appeal and in the initial filing without providing significant new facts or evidence”

  AAO decision text
• resume experience · discounted

Where this case turned

• Business plan speculative · p1 — projections without a documented basis or steps
• 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

Notable

This is a combined motion to reopen/reconsider following a prior AAO appellate dismissal; the AAO had withdrawn the Director's favorable exceptional-ability finding on appeal and now on motion reaffirms that neither the threshold classification nor national importance was met, without reaching prongs 2 or 3.

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
• 8 C.F.R. 204.5(k)(3)(ii)
• Matter of E-M-

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