Opinion ID: 2744070
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Additional Evidentiary Objections

Text: Fogo de Chao raises a number of objections to the second evidentiary pillar underlying the Appeals Office decision: that Fogo de Chao had not established that the churrasqueiro position itself requires “specialized knowledge.” We need not wade into those disputes, however, because the Appeals Office’s conclusion that culturally acquired knowledge is categorically irrelevant to showing “specialized knowledge” pervaded its analysis of the churrasqueiro position as well. The Appeals Office opened this portion of its analysis by reiterating that “the beneficiary’s knowledge of the culture and culinary traditions of his native region of Brazil is general knowledge,” and concluded that it is such cultural and traditional knowledge “that equips him to be a churrasqueiro chef in the petitioner’s industry.” J.A. 666. Similarly, Fogo de Chao submitted an expert report explaining the business’s critical reliance on the presence of a “core group” of Brazilian churrasqueiros at each of its restaurants, J.A. 672, and indicating that the Brazilian churrasqueiros have some duties that are distinct from Fogo de Chao’s non-Brazilian employees, see J.A. 307, 309. The Appeals Office dismissed that evidence by reiterating its conclusion that “an alien cannot qualify for this classification based primarily upon his or her life experience or culture.” J.A. 672. Another expert’s report was dismissed because “the L-1B specialized knowledge visa has no cultural component.” Id. While Fogo de Chao has not persuasively responded to every evidentiary defect identified by the Appeals Office, it did submit evidence, including an expert’s report, addressing the distinction between its Brazilian and non-Brazilian churrasqueiro employees. The Appeals Office disregarded this evidence as part and parcel of its as-yet unjustified 39 categorical exclusion of cultural knowledge. Accordingly, the Appeals Office’s factual conclusions must be remanded for further explanation as well.