Interim Decision #1920 

MATTER OE CRUZ 

. In Visa Petition Proceedings 

A-18499217 

Decided by Regional Commissioner November 26, 1968 

Since a Master's degree, obtained upon successful completion of two years of 

specialized study and supervised field work, is required for entry in. most 

fields of social work, petitioner/beneficiary, who has only a Bachelor of 

Science degree in social work awarded in 1967 and whose only employment 

thereafter has been as a temporary worker of a tuberculosis society with 

duties involving delivery of fund solicitation letters and follow up of 

same, has not established that she possesses the high level of training and 

experience required to qualify as a member of the professions as a social 

worker within the meaning of sections 101(a) (32) and 203(a) (3) of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.* 

This case comes forward on appeal from the decision of the 

District Director, who on October 17, 1968 denied the petition in 

that the petitioner has failed to establish that she is a qualified 

member of the professions. 

The petitioner is a 21-year-old unmarried citizen and resident 

of the Philippines. She was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree 

in social work in 1967 by the University of Santo Tomas and 

thereafter worked in that country as a temporary liaison worker 

for a private institution. She now seeks in her own behalf classification as a member of the professions under section 203 (a) (3) 

of the Act, as amended, based upon her stated profession or occupation as a social worker. 

Section 101 (a) (32) of the Act, as amended, defines the term 

"profession" as including but not being limited to architects, 

engineers, lawyers, physicians, surgeons and teachers. 

An examination of the occupations listed in section 101 (a) (32) 

of the Act indicates that in a general a person may be considered 

a member of the professions if, as a minimum, he has been 

awarded a baccalaureate degree following the successful comple- 

* See Matter of Reyes, Interim Decision No. 2009. 

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Interim Decision #1920 

tion of a specialized course of education on the college or university level. (Matter of Asuncion, 11 I. & N. Dec. 660). 

While the acquisition of a baccalaureate degree is a minimum 

academic requirement for recognition as a member of the professions, the acquisition of such a degree does not automatically and 

by itself make the holder a member of the professions. (Matter of 

Shin, 11 I. & N. Dec. 686). Some occupations require a degree 

above the level of a baccalaureate degree to qualify as a professional in their field of study. The definition of professions, quoted 

above, includes doctors and surgeons and it is well established 

that a baccalaureate degree alone will not qualify a person as a 

doctor or surgeon and that advance degrees are a requisite for 

recognition in the profession of medicine and surgery. 

The Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 1965, Volume I, Definition of Titles, Third Edition, published by the Department of 

Labor, places social work in occupational code grouping 195.108 

under the heading, Guidance and Counseling. The Dictionary 

defines a social worker as a term applied to a worker perfoming 

social service functions in a public or voluntary social welfare 

agency, organization, or department and states that classifications 

are made according to work performed such as social worker, 

psychiatric; social group worker; social worker, delinquency prevention. 

In a supplement to the Dictionary the Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) Time for a social worker is rated from five to 

eight years. 

Volume II, Occupational Classification of the Dictionary, states 

with regard to training and methods of entry that while a college 

degree is a minimum requirement for entry into the field of social 

work, in most cases education beyond the four year college level 

is required; and that most municipal and state governments and 

private organizations require two years of graduate study of persons interested in pursuing social work as a career. (See Matter 

of Che,121. & N. Dec. 146, January 13, 1967). 

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1968-1969 edition, also 

published by the Department of Labor, states that while a Bachelor's degree, preferably in Social Welfare, generally is the minimum educational requirement for beginning jobs in social work, 

certain areas in most fields of practice require a Master's degree. 

For example, teaching positions require a Master's degree with a 

doctorate preferred. In research, training in social science 

research methods is required in addition to a graduate degree and 

experience in social work. The Handbook also states that a Mas62 
Interim Decision * 1920 

ter's degree in social work is awarded upon successful completion 

of two years of specialized study and supervised field work in an 

accredited school of social work; that only graduates of such 

schools are eligible for membership in the National Association of 

Social Workers (NASW) and that persons with two years of paid 

employment in social work under the supervision of a certified 

social worker and two years of membership are eligible for certification as members of the Academy of Certified Social Workers 

(ACSW). 

The Handbook states further that: 

The problems with which social workers are concerned include poverty; broken homes; physical, mental, and emotional handicaps; antisocial behavior; 

racial tensions; and unsatisfactory community conditions such as inadequate 

housing and medical care, and lack of educational, recreational, and cultural 

opportunities. 

As the foregoing indicates, the problems which are faced by a 

social worker relate to a variety of social and mental attitudes 

and conditions. Approaches to these problems are reflected in 

three basic methods of social work practice; namely, case work, 

group work, and community organization. In the instant petition, 

the petitioner has not indicated or defined the social work practice in which she intends to engage. 

On appeal, petitioner states in brief that at the time she filed 

the instant petition, she was not a full-fledged social worker but 

has now been issued a registration certificate as such. A copy of 

this certificate has been submitted with appeal. Concerning two 

years of graduate studies from an accredited school of social 

work as a prerequisite to employment as a social worker here, 

petitioner indicates that is the reason why she does not want to 

work now as a social worker but is willing to work even as a 

clerk so that she can pursue graduate studies in the United 

States. 

After carefully reviewing and considering all the facts in this 

case, we find that professions generally require either college 

graduation—often with an advanced degree—or experience of 

such kind and amount to provide comparable knowledge. With 

regard to social work, we find that a Master's degree is required 

in most fields of that activity, obtained after specialized study 

and supervised field work. The petitioner in the instant case does 

not have a Master's degree nor any specialized training and field 

work in her stated profession. Her only employment since obtaining her degree has been that of a temporary worker of a tuberculosis society in the Philippines with duties involving delivering 

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Interim Decision #1920 

letters of solicitation for funds and following up same. The 

record fails to establish that the petitioner has the high level of 

training and experience needed to qualify as a member of the 

professions as a social worker. 

The burden of proof in visa petition proceedings to establish 

eligibility for preference classification sought rests with the petitioner. (Matter of Cheung, 12 I. & N. Dec. 715). The petitioner 

has failed to meet that burden of proof in establishing that she 

qualifies as a member of the professions under section 203 (a) (3) 

of the Act, as amended, as a social worker. The District Director's decision will be affirmed and the appeal dismissed. 

ORDER: It is ordered that the appeal be and the same is 

hereby dismissed.