MilTKBOFDxK 

In VISA PETITION Proceedings 

A-11752066 

Approved by Assistant Commissioner December SI, 1959 

first preference—Tailor (men**)—Employment as alterer of ready-to-wear 

clothing. 

Beneficiary who has qualifications of "skilled tailor" la entitled to first preference quota status when hfa prospective employment in the United States 

will be as an alterer of ready-to-wear clothing since such employment will 

require him to remake practically every part of a man's suit or overcoat. 

(Of. Matter tf B S > Inc., 7 I. & N. Dec. 428.) 

BEFORE THE REGIONAL COMMISSIONER 

Discussion: The beneficiary is a 27-year-old unmarried male, a 

native and resident of Italy. The petitioner is a retail merchant 

engaged in the sale of men's clothing. The men's suits and coats 

sold are received ready-made from the manufacturer and each garment usually requires alteration to fit the customer who buys it. 

This may involve such alteration of the garments as resetting the 

shoulders, lowering the coat collar, lowering or making higher the 

rise of trousers, removing pleats from trousers, or recutting and 

resewing any part of a suit, as well as making the necessary measurements for such alterations. 

The petition was denied by the district director on the ground 

that the proposed employment of the beneficiary as an alterer of 

ready-to-wear clothing is not one which requires the technical training, specialized experience, or exceptional ability contemplated by 

the law for first preference status (section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act). The petitioner has appealed from this 

decision and the case is here for consideration of the appeal, the 

sole issue being, therefore, whether the proposed employment requires a tailor with* the qualifications recited in the case under 

reference. 

The evidence shows that the beneficiary is a skilled tailor and 

that he is employed in that craft in Italy, having been a tailor's 

apprentice from 1944 to 1949, having been employed in a, work shop 

as a tailor from 1949 to 1952, and since 1952 having operated his 

own shop as a tailor. This evidence is considered to establish the 

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beneficiary's qualifications as a tailor according to the criteria recited in Matter of B 8 , Inc., TL4N . Dec. 428. 

It was stated in that case that for the beneficiary to qualify he 

must be capable of performing all of the operations necessary to 

make a man's suit or outercoat. It follows as a necessary consequence that the proposed employment of a beneficiary as a tailor 

should require skill of this scope and kind.. 

It appears from the evidence that the bemJiciary in this case 

would be required in his proposed employment to measure a customer and to recut and resew any part of a suit of a ready-made 

garment to fit the measurements of the customer. The petitioner 

alleges, in effect, that this requires the same skill as a tailor as for 

one required to perform all of the. operations necessary to make a 

man's suit or outercoat in the first place. Altering a ready-made 

suit or outercoat for one customer does not of course involve a total 

remaking pf the garment, but where one customer will require for 

alterations the remaking of the garment in one part, another customer will in the same circumstances require the remaking of the 

garment in another part. On this assumption, it is reasonable to 

concede that the alteration tailor will be required over a period of 

time and in dealing with many customers to measure for and to 

remake practically every part that goes to make up a man's suit 

or outercoat, thus having to be capable in such employment of performing all of the operations necessary to make a man's suit or 

outercoat. It is, therefore, considered that the issue before us, that 

is, whether the proposed employment in this case requires a tailor 

capable of performing all of the operations necessary to make a 

man's suit or outercoat, must be decided in favor of the appellant 

and an order to that effect will be made. 

Order; It is ordered that the appeal be sustained and that the 

petition to establish first preference quota status be granted. 

WO