Interim Decision #1641

MATTER or BEM

In Visa Petition Proceedings

A-14974695


### Decided by Acting District Director July 98, 1966

Since beneficiary lacks the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree in engineering as conferred by accredited United States colleges or universities and no evidence of any experience by him in mechanical engineering has been submitted, be does not qualify for professional status as a ,mechanical engineer ; therefore, a visa petition to accord him preference classification under section 203(a) (3), Immigration. and Nationality Act, as amended by 89

-230, as a mechanical engineer, is denied..

The petition was filed by the beneficiary, for third preferenceclassification as a member of the professions based upon his qualifications as a mechanical engineer. He is a single, native and citizen of India, born March 20, 1942, presently residing in Canada. He attended the Sri GUru Tech Bahadur Kbalsa College, Delhi, India, where, in April 1961, he obtained a bachelor of science degree, with honors in mathematics, On July 81, 1962, in England, he was awarded 

### a diploma in refrigeration. following a full

-time course of study during the 1961

- 62session, by the National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering. As a result of this diploma, he was elected a member of the Institute of Refrigeration on August 28,1962. On. July 16, 1964, he was awarded a Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, in London, England, This Certificate attests that the beneficiary hid satisfactorily completed.

anapproved 

### part-time course at North-West Sent College of Technology, Dartford, England, in. the following subjects: First Year— Strength of Materials; Theory of Machines; Heat Engines: Second Year—Strength of Materials; Theory of Machines; Heat Engines.(Assessed). No other evidence of recognition by a national or international society was submitted, nor was evidence of lie,ensure as a mechanical-engineer submitted. No evidence of employment in the

4e1d of mechanical engineering was submitted.

802 -

### Interim Decision #1641.

Under section 208 (a) (3) of the Act, third preference 

### quota status may be accorded to "qualified immigrants who are members of the professions." Recognition of professional status normally is attained through completion of high education, followed by licensure or other similar 

### official permission to practice a profession. Section 101(a) (32) of the Act, states the term "profession" shall include but not be limited to, architects, engineers, lawyers, physicians, surgeons and teachers in elementary or seconda ry schools, colleges, academies or seminaries.The Secretary of Labor has issued a list of categories of employment in Schedule 

### A, Section 60, Title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, 

### for which he has certified. pursuant to section 212(a) (14) Of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, that there are not sufficient workers who are able, willing, qualified and available for employment, and that the employment of aliens in such categories will 

### not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed. Schedule A reflects that the Secretary of Labor has granted such "blanket" 

### certification to a person 

### whose education or experience is equivalent 

### to the baccalaureate degree conferred by accredited United. States colleges and universities in mechanical engineering.Inclusion in Schedule A does not necessarily mean that a particular occupation is classifiable as a profession, inasmuch as Schedule A includes nonprofessional as well as professional occupations. However, section 101(a) (32) of the Immigration and 

### Nationality Act, as amended, states specifically that the term "profession" shall include "engineers". It is 'concluded that, if the beneficiary has aneducation or experience equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering conferred by accredited United States colleges or universities, 

### he is not only entitled to the "blanket" certification of the Secretary of Labor pursuant to Schedule A, 29 CFR 60, but is also classifiable as a member of the professions within the meaning of section 208(a) (8) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. No evidence of any experience by the beneficiary in mechanical engineering has been submitted. Since his education was not clearly equivalent to a baccalaureate degree in engineering conferred by an accredited college or university in the United States, the evidence ofhis educational qualifications was referred to the Office of Education, 

### Department of Health; Education, and Welfare for an advisory opinion in terms of its equivalency to as education in the United States_ In their reply, that 

### Office 

### stated that the beneficiary has

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### Interim Decision #1641
the approximate-equivalent of high school education, plus two years of college credit in engineering. The reply noted further that upon departure from India, the beneficiary had the general equivalent of high school graduation, plus 1 year of college credit; that his further education is England added an additional year of 

### college credit. Because of his lack of the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree as conferred by United States colleges or universities, it can only he concluded that the beneficiary does not qualify for professional status as a mechanical engineer, and the petition to accord him third preference classification must necessarily be denied.
Examination of the evidence establishes that the beneficiary 

### is qualified for work involving a high degree of skill. Section 203(a)(6) of the Act, as amended, provides for sixth preference classification for aliens capable of performing skilled or unskilled labor, not of, a temporary or seasonal nature, for which a shortage of 

### employable and willing persons exists in the United States. The denial of the petition for third preference classification iswithout prejudice to determining his qualifications for sixth preference, if a petition to accord him that classification, supported by the required Department of

- Labor certification, is submitted in his behalf by an actual' or prospective 

### employer. • 

### ORDER: It is ordered that the petition to hecord the beneficiary third preference classification be and hereby is denied.

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