Yau v. District Director of United States Immigration & Naturalization Service

293 F. Supp. 717, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11865
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedNovember 4, 1968
DocketCiv. A. No. 68-891
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 293 F. Supp. 717 (Yau v. District Director of United States 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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Yau v. District Director of United States Immigration & Naturalization Service, 293 F. Supp. 717, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11865 (C.D. Cal. 1968).

Opinion

DECISION, FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

HAUK, District Judge.

Petitioner filed a petition for judicial review in this Court alleging that respondent’s finding that petitioner did not qualify as a “member of the professions” under Section 203(a) (3), as amended, 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a) (3)1 of the Immigration and Nationality Act is clearly erroneous and contrary to law. Petitioner was seeking a declaration that he is a “member of the professions” pursuant to the aforementioned statute.

Respondent filed a Motion for Summary Judgment pursuant to Rule 56(b) & (c)2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Pro[720]*720cedure on the ground that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact. Respondent filed a Memorandum of Points and Authorities in support of its Motion. Petitioner filed a Memorandum in opposition to Respondent’s Motion for Summary Judgment.

The jurisdiction of this Court was asserted pursuant to the Declaratory Judgment Act (28 U.S.C. § 2201)3 and Chapter 7 of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. § 702 et al.) 4

The facts as set forth in the Petition, respondent’s Answer, Motion for Summary Judgment, and Memorandum of Points and Authorities, the Administrative Record, petitioner’s Memorandum in opposition to respondent’s motion, and as presented in oral argument are now recited.

Petitioner, a 39-year old native of Hong Kong and a British national, filed in this Court a Petition for Judicial Review contending that the Respondent erroneously denied his Petition for Classification under Section 203(a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a) (3). Petitioner contended that the denial was erroneous because he had established that he has received the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering. Therefore, Petitioner claims that he is entitled to the issuance of a visa under Section 203(a) (3) of the Act.

The sole issue herein is whether the Respondent abused his discretion in finding that the Petitioner did not qualify as a member of the professions within the meaning and intent of Section 101(a) (32) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a) (32) .5 The certified Administrative 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.

The certified administrative record shows that Petitioner was awarded a B. S. degree in Electronic Engineering on January 13, 1967, by Pacific States University of Los Angeles. Following his graduation, Petitioner was employed as a draftsman with Ampex Corporation in Culver City, California and since March 1967 has been employed as a practical trainee with Teledyne Systems of Los Angeles as a junior member of the Technical Staff.

In response to an inquiry from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Office of Education, Department of [721]*721Health, Education, and Welfare on March 28, 1967 advised as follows: “Our records, spanning more than a quarter century reveal that Pacific States University is not accredited and has not established that its degrees are recognized or that its credits are accepted unconditionally by accredited institutions of higher education.”

The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, advised that credits issued by Pacific States University are not accepted by USC and that Pacific States University “bears no accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.”

Likewise, the University of California, Los Angeles, California, advised that they do not accept transfer credit for work .completed at Pacific States University since it is not accredited by the Western Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges.

On April 3, 1968, the District Director issued his decision denying the Petition.

Petitioner appealed to the Regional Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service on the ground that he qualified as a member of the professions based upon his degree in Electronic Engineering from Pacific States University, a school aproved by the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service for foreign students, and on the basis of his employment experience.

On May 2, 1968, the Regional Commissioner issued his decision, finding that “Petitioner has failed to establish that he has received the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering conferred by an accredited college or university in the United States or that he has the experience or a combination of experience and education required for such a degree.” Thereupon, the Regional Commissioner affirmed the decision of the District Director and dismissed the appeal.

On May 27, 1968, Petitioner filed this action seeking a review of the denial of his petition for third preference classification as a member of the professions.

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

DECISION

RESPONDENT DID NOT ABUSE HIS DISCRETION IN FINDING THAT PETITIONER DID NOT QUALIFY AS A “MEMBER OF THE PROFESSIONS” UNDER SECTION 203(a) (3) OF THE ACT.

In sitting in review of administrative determination of the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Court’s role is that of reviewer rather than original fact finder. Unless there is presented a substantial claim of United States citizenship, the Court’s scrutiny is limited to the agency record underlying the challenged administrative determination and it does not try the factual issues de novo. Todaro v. Pederson, 205 F.Supp. 612 (N.D.Ohio, 1961) affirmed 305 F.2d 377 (6th Cir. 1962), cert. denied 371 U.S. 891, 83 S.Ct. 190, 9 L.Ed.2d 124; Chan Wing Cheung v. Hamilton, 198 F.Supp. 154 (D.R.I., 1961); affirmed 298 F.2d 459 (1st Cir. 1962); Obrenovic v. Pilliod, 282 F.2d 874 (7th Cir. 1960).

Since only questions of law are presented for judicial determination on such review, a motion for summary judgment, based upon the administrative record, is an appropriate method of presenting the issues to the Court. Kalatjis v. Rosenberg, 305 F.2d 249 (9th Cir. 1962); Todaro v. Pederson, supra.

In Todaro, supra, the Court stated:

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293 F. Supp. 717, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11865, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yau-v-district-director-of-united-states-immigration-naturalization-cacd-1968.