2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 8-17-2009 

# E l S h a e r v . Att y Ge n U S A P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ocke t N o . 08-1964

F o l lo w thi s a nd a dd it ion al w ork s at : h tt p://d i g it alc ommon s .l a w . v i l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou gh t t o you for f r e e a nd ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i l l a no va U nive r sit y S choo l of L a

w Di g it al Re posit or y

. It h as be e n a c c e pt e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y a n author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i l l a no va U nive r sit y S choo l of L a

w Di g it al Re posit or y

. F or mor e infor m at ion, p le as e c on t a ct Be n j a min . C a rl s on@l a

w . v i l l a no va . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
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w . v i l l a no va . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/8101 NOT PRECEDENTIAL U N IT E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A LS F O R T H E T H IRD C IR C U IT No. 08-1964
BI LAL Z UHDI ELSHAER Petitioner, v. ATTORNEY G ENERAL OF T HE UNI TED STATES Re sp on de nt. Petition for Review of a

n Orde r of the B oa rd of Immi g ra tio n App e a ls (No. A29- 831-746) Be fore : McKEE, HA RDI MAN and G REENBE RG, Circ uit J ud ge s. Submit ted pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)

J une 2, 2009 (Opinion Filed: August 17, 2009 )

OPI NI ON McKEE, Circuit Judge Bilal Zudhi El Shaer petitions for re view of a Marc h 3, 2008, decision of the B oard of Immigration Appeals, af

firmingan Immigration J udg e’s or der of remova l. The Immigration Judg e ru le d th at E l Sh a e r i s st atut or ily ine lig ibl e fo r a

wa ive r o f i na dmi ssi bil ity and or de re d h is
remova l. For the rea sons that follow, we will deny the petition for re view. As we write primar ily

for the pa

rties who ar e fa

miliar with the fac tual and proc edura l history of this case , we ne ed not re cite the f acts or ba ckground of this dispute. We must determine whethe r the B IA er red in rulingthat El Shaer’ s char g e of2

re mov a bil ity un de r I NA§ 2 37 (a)( 3) (B )( iii ), 8 U .S. C. § 12 27 (a)( 3) (B )( iii ), re nd e rs him statut or ily ineligible f

or a w aiver

of inadmissibili ty

under I NA § 237(a )(1) (H), 8 U .S.C. § 1227(a)(1) (H). This is a question of law a nd our re view is there fore de novo
. Mc Nar yv . H ait ian Re fuge eCtr
. Inc., 498 U.S. 479, 493 (1991). I NA § 237(a )(1) (H), a llows otherwise re movable aliens to obtain a waiver of inadmissibil ity

in cer tain limit ed cir cumstance s. El Shaer obtaine d conditional resident status by enter ing into an a dmittedly fra udulent marria g e. He was subseque ntly convicted of

having eng ag ed in marriag e fr aud for the purpose of

adjusting his immigr ation status to lawful pe rm ane nt r e sid e nt. He no w a sse rt s th at th e c ri me s h e ple d guil ty to s ho uld no t di sq ua lif y him from beingconsidere d for a waiver of inadmissibili ty . The I J held that the wa iver c ontained in § 237 (a )(1) (H) only applied to per sons who wer e ina dmi ssi ble purs ua

nt t o § 21 2( a )( 6) (C )( i) of

the I NA , 8 U. S.C. § 1 18 2 ( a )( 6) (C )( i) , a nd that th is did not include El Shaer. The BIA af firmed, r uling that the I J had cor

rec tly interpre ted 23 7( a )( 1) (H ) a

nd that E l Sh a e r’ s guil ty

ple a fo r v iol atin g18 U. S.C. § 1 54 6 ma de him ine lig ibl e fo r t he wa ive r h e wa s r e qu e sti ngbe c a us e he ha d b e e n c onvic te d o f a c ri me that w a s q

ua lit ativ e ly differ ent from those that are elig ible for a waiver of inadmissibili ty . We agree . See M atter of Jimene z-Santillano , 21 I . & N . Dec . 567, 573 (B IA 1996) (disc ussing the pr edec essor statute)
. Acc ording ly , we will deny his petition for review
.