Agarwal v. District Director of the U. S. Immigration & Naturalization Service

299 F. Supp. 291, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8527
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedFebruary 3, 1969
DocketNo. 68-1957
StatusPublished

This text of 299 F. Supp. 291 (Agarwal v. District Director of the U. S. Immigration & Naturalization Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Agarwal v. District Director of the U. S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, 299 F. Supp. 291, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8527 (C.D. Cal. 1969).

Opinion

DECISION, FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND ORDER

HAUK, District Judge.

Petitioner seeks judicial review of a decision rendered by the Regional Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service for the Southwest Region denying his application for a preference “professional” classification under Section 203(a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a) (3).1

Respondent filed a Motion for Summary Judgment and a Memorandum of Points and Authorities in support thereof, pursuant to Rule 56(b) and (c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure2, [293]*293contending that there are no genuine issues as to any material fact and that respondent is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Petitioner filed a Memorandum in Opposition to Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment contending that respondent failed to consider whether petitioner’s combined education and experience is the equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and thus abused his discretion.

Although the relevant facts as stated by respondent in his Memorandum in Support of Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment are not contested by petitioner, a summary of the facts will be of assistance in understanding why this Court is disposed to and does grant summary judgment sustaining the ruling of the District Director, as affirmed by the Regional Commissioner, that petitioner is not eligible for a preference classification as a “member of the professions” under Section 203(a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a) (3).

Petitioner, a 39-year old married non-immigrant industrial trainee from India, has filed a Petition for Judicial Review herein contending that the Respondent erroneously denied his Petition for Classification under § 203(a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Petitioner claims that because of his training and education he qualifies as a member of the professions as a “water-well specialist or science instructor” and, therefore, that he is entitled to the issuance.of a visa under § 203(a) (3) of the Act.

The facts are not in dispute. The sole question is whether the respondent abused his discretion in finding that the petitioner did not qualify as a member of the professions and that, therefore, he was not eligible for a third preference classification.

The certified record of the Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, contains all of the information submitted by petitioner as to his educational achievements and work experience. It shows that petitioner graduated from high school in India in 1945; that he obtained a Degree of Bachelor of Science from Agra University, India, in 1958; that he completed an eight-week session in “Application Course in Work Study” in India in 1960; and that he has been accepted for admission to graduate status in the class in Systems Engineering at West Coast University, Los Angeles, California.

Since May 1966, petitioner has been employed by a Los Angeles firm, Roscoe Moss Company, as an industrial trainee. The documents relating to petitioner’s education were sent by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the Office of Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare for interpretation in terms of education in the United States. According to that Department, petitioner has the equivalent of “high school graduation plus 2 years of college, with emphasis on science.”

Respondent found that petitioner “failed to establish that he has the high education or equivalent experience to be accorded recognition as a member of the professions or that he has ever been employed or will be employed in a professional occupation.”

Petitioner appealed the respondent’s denial to the Regional Commissioner upon the ground that he is a qualified mechanical engineer and, therefore, entitled to a third preference classification.

To support his contentions on appeal, petitioner submitted additional evidence showing that he attended University of California Extension courses and West Coast University, School of Engineering, both in Los Angeles. He also submitted information relating to the final examinations given by Agra University, his ownership of an engineering firm in India, and his 18 years of experience.

On September 19, 1968, the Regional Commissioner rendered his decision stating:

“the ‘professions’ claimed by petitioner, that of a water-well specialist or [294]*294science instructor, are not included among those set forth in section 101 (a) (32) 3 nor are either of these defined in the DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES as professions. No evidence has been submitted to substantiate the claim that such occupations are professions within the meaning of the statute. The Petitioner’s academic achievements and his employment experience do not bear on the question as to whether or not a water well specialist or science instructor is a profession. * * * ”

Accordingly, the decision of the District Director was affirmed and the appeal was dismissed. Petitioner then brought this action seeking to review the denial of his Petition for Third Preference Classification.

This Court has examined the entire record which includes, among other things, the pleadings, the certified Transcript of Record, the memoranda submitted by the parties, and the oral argument at the time of the hearing on respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment. The Court has reviewed all of this material and concludes that respondent is entitled to have his Motion for Summary Judgment granted.

Now having heard the arguments and having examined all the filed documents and records herein, and being fully advised in the premises, the Court renders its decision.

The District Director Did Not Abuse His Discretion in Denying Petitioner’s Application for a Third Preference Classification.

The certified Transcript of Record of petitioner’s application for a third preference classification under Section 203 (a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended4 contains all the evidence submitted by petitioner as to the quality and extent of his formal education and the length and diversity of his practical experience, including his employment.

Since this information covering both his formal education and his practical working experience was part and parcel of the petition before the District Director and the appeal to the Regional Commissioner, it must be assumed that it was examined and considered by them in the overall evaluation of petitioner’s skills and formal training in the sciences. It also must have been considered by them in reaching the decision that petitioner was not a member of the professions and, by inference, that he did not possess the required exceptional ability in the sciences or arts which would substantially benefit the national economy, cultural interests, or welfare of the United States.

His employer, Roscoe Moss Company, at the time the petition was filed, stated that petitioner had served as an industrial trainee since May 1966.

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299 F. Supp. 291, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8527, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/agarwal-v-district-director-of-the-u-s-immigration-naturalization-cacd-1969.