Interim Decision #14.18 

Maw= OF KI' 

In Deportation Proceedings 

A-10353516 

Decided.by Board February 18, 1985 

The parent of a minor United States citizen is ineligible for preference quota 

classification under section 208(a) (2), Immigration-andNationality Act, as 

amended. [Reaffirmed: 800 F.24. 804 (1906)1. 

Cam: 

Order: Act of 1952—Section 241(a) (2) [8 U.S.C. 1251(a) (2)]—.-Nanizumi. 

grant student, remained longer.. 

The case comes forward on appeal from the order of the special 

inquiry officer dated November 17, 1964, denyirlg the application for 

adjustment of status .pursuant to section 245' of the Immigration 

and Nationality Act, granting voluntary departure in lien of deportation with the further order that if the respondent failed to depart 

when and as required, he be deported to Lebanon on the charge contained in the order to show cause. 

The record relates to a native and citizen of Lebanon, 30 years old, 

male, who last entered the United States at the port of New York 

on January 31, 1956. He was then admitted as a nonimmigrant stu- , 

 dent, authorized to remain in. such status until January 5, 1968. The 

respondent was granted until February 10, 1968, within which to 

effect voluntary departure but remained thereafter without authority. 

Deportability on the charge stated in the order to show cause is 

established. 

The case was previously before us on appeal from an order of the 

special inquiry officer entered on March 27, 1963, granting voluntary 

departure with the alternate order that if he failed to depart as 

required, he be deported to Lebanon. The appeal was dismissed. 

On August 7, 1964, we ordered proceedings reopened for the purpose 

of considering the respondent's request for. adjustment of status 

under section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as 

amended, or for such other relief as might be appropriate. 

42 
Interim, Decision 401430 

The record shows• that the respondent on. September 5, 1963, in 

the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana married. Shirley Claudia 

O'Hara Mulligan, a native-born citizen of the United States. On 

April 19, 1964, at Omaha, Nebraska, the respondent's wife gave birth 

to a citizen child. The day after the marriage she completed a visa 

petition to accord the respondent nonquota status. In her sworn' 

statement of April 20, 1964, the wife asked that the visa petition. be 

revoked and on May 19, 1964, the District Director at New Orleans 

denied the visa petition. On May 29, 1964, the respondent filed a 

petition for separation a metiaa et Moro in the Family Court For 

The Parish Of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana in which respondent 

asserted under Louisiana law he was the legal father of the child 

and was awarded the temporary care, custody and control of the 

minor child (Es. R-4). (A final decree in this matter was rendered 

on September 9, 1964.) There is some evidence in the file of a sham 

marriage for the purpose of avoiding deportation. There is also 

evidence that the respondent is not the natural father of the child 

(Es. it-4; Er. p. 6; Es. B-11')., However, we need not at this 

point consider whether the relief of section 245 of the Act is warranted as a matter of discretion. For the purpose of this discussion. 

- we shall also assume, without conceding, that under the laws of the 

State of Louisiana the respondent is recognized as the legal father 

of the child, Darlene Rachael, born in Nebraska, despite his admissionthat he is not the biological or natural father of the child and 

despite the statement by the mother that there woe never any intercourse hetween.herself and,the respondent. 

The critical question in the case is whether the respondent can meet 

the requirement of section. 245(a) (3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255 (a) (3) ) that an immigrant visa be immediately available to the alien. Section 203(a) (2) of the Immigration 

and Nationality Act (8 U S.O. 1153 (a) (2)) provides: 

(2) The 'next 30 per centaur of the quota for each quota area for such year, 

plus any portion of such quota not required for the issuance of immigrant 

- visas to the classes specified in .paragraphs (I) and (3); shall be made 

available for the issuance of immigrant visas to qualified quota immigrants 

who tiPe the parents of oittedris of the United States, such citizens being at 

least tioentfrone seari . of aim or who are the unmarried -sons or daughters of 

citizens of • the United States., (Emphasis supplied.) 

Counsel construes the underlined portion of this section as though 

the .language thereof reads: - 

• • • to imaged quids immigrants who.are the parents of citizens of the 

United. States, such citizens being (a) at least twenty -one years of age; or (b) 

who are the parents of unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of the United' • 

States. • 

43 
Interim Decision 4t1430 

Counsel argues that inasmuch as the respondent is the parent of a 

citizen who is the unmarried daughter of his citizen wife, he is 

therefOre entitled to second preference quota status under the statute 

as he interprets it. 

The ingenuousness of counsel is commendable but not persuasive. 

When the language of a statute is plain and unambiguous there is 

no occasion for construction, and the statute must be given effect 

according to its plain and obvious meaning. The fundamental rule 

of statutory construction is to ascertain and, if possible, give effect 

to the intention or purpose of the legislature as expressed. in the 

statute. Proper interpretation of a statute requires adherence to the 

plain common sense and meaning of the language therein contained, 

rather than an application of refined and technical rules of grammatical construction? 

As we read section 203(a) (2) of the Immigration and Nationality 

Aet (8 U.S.C. 1153(a) (2)), the second. preference category of immigrant visas is available to qualified quota immigrants who are the 

parents of citizens of the United States, such citizens being at least 

21 years of age, or to qualified quota immigrants who are the unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of the United States. We are 

unable to read into the language of the statute the meaning ascribed 

by counsel that immigrant visas are available to parents of the unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of the United States. 

The report of the committee in each House of the legislature which 

investigated the desirability of the statute under consideration is a 

much. used source for determining the intent of the legislature, when 

it sets forth a committee's grounds for recommending passage of 

the proposed bill and, more important, its understanding of the 

nature and effect of the measure. Although not decisive, the intent 

of the legislature as revealed by the committee report is highly' 

persuasive? 

Section 1 of the Act of September 22, 1959 (P.L. 86-363) ; 73 Stet. 

644, H.R. 5896, provides: . 

section203(a) (2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act is hereby amended 

by striking ont the period and adding the following: "or who are the unmarried sons and daughters of damns of 'the United States." 

Senate Report No. 962 .(September 8, 1959), to, accompany H.R. 

5896, states that section 1 of the Bill 'would improve the quota 

immigrant status of the unmarried sons or daughters over 21 years 

of age of citizens of the United States by moving them from the 

1 2 C.J.S. 577, 560, 683. 

1Suthorlpnd, Statutory Construction* (1943 ed.) pp. 489, 490. 

., 44 
Interim Decision #1430 

fourth to the second preference in the allocation of immigrant visas 

within the quotas. The second preference is -presently available only 

to parents of United States citizens. The report made ieference to 

a letter from the Deputy Attorney General, dated June 23, 1959, to 

the Chairman, Committee of the Judiciary, which stated: 

Under existing law (section 203(a) (4) of the Immigration and Nationality 

Act) aliens who are the sons and daughters of citizens of the 'United States 

are accorded fourth preference in the allocation of immigrant visas within 

quotas. Under section 1 of the 33111, the adult unmarried sons or daughters of 

citizens of the United States would be placed in the second-preference category. 

We believe that the plain reading of the statute and the legislative history conclusively deinonstrates that the allocation of quotas 

within the second preference group is available only to two categories 

of immigrants: (1) immigrants who are the parents of citizens of 

the United States, such citizens being at least 21 years of age; or (2) 

immigrants who are the unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of 

the United States. Inasmuch as the respondent does not fall within 

any of these categories, he is eligible only for nonpreference status. 

The nonpreference portion of the quota for Lebanon, to which the 

respondent is chargeable, is oversubscribed. A visa is not immediately available to the respondent and his application for adjustment of 

status under section 245 was properly denied. The respondent has 

been granted the privilege of voluntary departure with an automatic order of deportation if he fails to depart as required. The 

appeal will be dismissed. 

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

dismissed. 

45.