JANUS AND JANEK

12 I. & N. Dec. 866
CourtBoard of Immigration Appeals
DecidedJuly 1, 1968
Docket1900
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 12 I. & N. Dec. 866 (JANUS AND JANEK) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Board of Immigration Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
JANUS AND JANEK, 12 I. & N. Dec. 866 (bia 1968).

Opinion

Interim Decision #1900

MATTER or JANUS AND JANER In Deportation Proceedings A-14813095-6 .4-14805412

Decided by Board July 25,1968 11) In the exercise or discretion, adjuSLment of status under section 245, Irurni gration and Nationality Act, as amended, is granted an alien whose nonimmi- grant entry was not intended to bypass the normal visa-issuing process ; who has close family here ; who is eligible for visa issuance and who is unwilling to return to his native Czechoslovakia where he has been convicted, in absentia, of defection from the republic, sentenced to imprisonment, and his property 'confiscated. (2) Applietitions for withholding of deportation under section 243(h) of the Act alleging rear of persecution for political opinion are granted two natives and citizens of Czechoslovakia who, although members of the Communist Party at time of their nonimmigrant entry, by their uncontradicted testimony express their long-standing opposition to the political regime in Czechoslovakia ; who defected at the first opportunity, one repudiating his entrusted mission of proP• agandizing for the Communist government In this country, the other overtly making Ids criticism of conditions in Czechosolvaltia to agencies which could disseminate It widely and effectively: and who have both been convicted, in absentia, of defection from the republic and sentenced to imprisonment. (3) The legal posture of an applicant for conditional entry under section 203(a) (7) is not that of an applicant for withholding of deportation under section 243(h) of the Act and sued& standards of conduct cannot be set which will guarantee, without more, inclusion in or exclusion from eligibility for either benefit sought. An application under either section 203(a) (7) or 243(h) must be decided individually, on all its facts.

CHARGES : Order: (A11)—Act of 1952—Section 241 (a) (2) IS U.S.C. 1251(a) (2))— Nonimmigrant visitors, remained longer. ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENTS : ON BEHALF OF SERVICE: Charles Sternberg, Eequire Irving A. Appleman International Rescue Committee Appellate Trial Attorney 888 Park Avenue Smith New York, New York 10016 '

2 Because of their own activities with refugees and other immigrants, and their

interest in the subject mutter of this appeal, the following voluntary agencies

866 Interim Decision #1900' This case is before us on appeal from the decision of the special Inquiry officer : 2 Finding all three respondents deportable as charged; Denying the application of respondent (1) for adjustment under Section 245 upon the ground that he is statutorily ineligible therefor; Denying the application of respondent (2) for adjustment under Section 245 as a matter of discretion; Granting voluntary departure to all, with the provision that if they do not depart when and as required, each will be ordered deported, respondents (1) and (2), who made no designation, to Czechoslovakia, respondent (3) to Sweden, the eounti.7 of desig- nation, with provision that if Sweden does not accept him, that he also be ordered deported to Czechoslovakia; Denying to all a withholding of deportation to Czechoslovakia. under Section 243(h) upon the ground that they have failed to sustain their burden of establishing that they would be persecuted because of race, religion or politics if returned to Czechoslovakia I We deal first with the case of Frantisek Janus, in which our disposi- tion differs from that of the other two cases. Frantisek is a 42-year-old married male alien, native and citizen of Czechoslovakia, whose only entry to the United States was on July 7, 1966, as a nonimmigrant visitor for pleasure; his authorized stay expired on August 31, 1986 and he remained beyond that date without authority. He concedes that he is deportable as charged. At the deportation hearing held on October 26, 1966, he learned that it was possible to apply for adjust- ment to permanent resident status in the United States (see Tr. p. 63) and the hearing was adjourned to permit him and Jaroslav Janus, who is his brother, to prepare and present such applications, based on petitions for fifth preference quota status to be filed by one of their two American citizen ;brothers. The petitions were filed and were joined in a single Brief Amiens Curiae, and requested permission to be present at oral argument : American Fund for Czechoslovak Refugees, Inc.; Church World Service, Inc.; National Council of Churches of Christ, USA; Department of Im- migration, United States Catholic Conference; Lutheran Immigration and Refu- gee Service, Lutheran Council USA; Polish American Immigration and Relief' Committee, Inc.; Tolstoy Foundation, Inc.; United BIAS Service, Inc. 2 There were two sets of hearings held• one for the Janus brothers-together and one for Janek. Reference to transcript pages and exhibits in the Janus file is followed by the letter "3" ; for Janek, by the letter "K".

867 Interim Decision #1900 approved in January 1967; then and now ther was immediate quota availability based on the priority date created by the filing of the petitions. The special inquiry officer, stating that Frantisek's application for 'adjustment had not been completely processed because of the decision the special inquiry officer had decided to make, assumed Frantisek to be statutorily eligible. The application and the record do not disclose any basis of ineligibility. The special inquiry officer, in considering the discretionary factor, referred to testimony by this respondent that when he applied for his visa he was seriously considering remaining here permanently, a fact which he did not tell the Consul for fear that he would not be able to come to the United States. It was respon- dent's further testimony that although he then wished to stay here permanently, he did not make the final decision to do so until after his arrival in the United States. On this basis, the special inquiry officer decided that respondent was not a bona fide nonimmigrant at the time of entry, and, citing Matter of Ortiz Prieto. 11 1. & N. Dec. -

'317, stated that there were no equities in the case which indicated that the results of the application should be other than adverse, as in the oiled case. We do not believe that a denial of adjustment is warranted. Here, as in Ortiz Prieto, a favorable factor is that respondent's entry on a -

nonimmigrant visa was not made to bypass the normal visa issuing processes. In this case, however, it was the special inquiry officer him- -self, three and a half months after their entry, who first made the Janus brothers aware that it was possible to apply for adjustment, and that their citizen brothers could file petitions to secure quota prefer- ences for them. Neither this respondent nor his brother began to work in this country until after the deportation proceedings were in- stituted. Respondent has close family here (his two citizen brothel's) ; his wife, who remained in Czechoslovakia, has not made any objection to the application for adjustment. Respondent, who is clearly eligible for visa issuance and has the requisite quota availability, cannot take .advantage of these factors anywhere but in the United States. He has no foreign country to which he can go to apply for a visa; he is under- standably unwilling to return to Czechoslovakia, where he has been convicted, in absentia, of "Defection from the Republic", sentenced to a year's imprisonment, and has already had all of his property con- fiscated. Respondent has been working steadily since he took his first Job in the United States and has been sending money to Czechoslo- vakia for the support of his wife and children; he has no criminal record other than the above mentioned conviction.

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