Tag Archive for: O-1

Cora-Ann Pestaina

To Amend, or Not to Amend: That is the Question For Visas Not Associated With a Labor Condition Application

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As the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately rages on, employers nationwide continue to seek ways to keep their businesses open and reduce costs while also protecting their nonimmigrant employees. This blog has addressed, here, here and here, some of the unique challenges facing employers of H-1B and other nonimmigrant workers. Employers have basically come to accept the fact that the H-1B worker is tethered to the LCA and there are several changes that could necessitate the filing of an amended petition. But while it is generally understood that other work visas such as the E-1, E-2, L-1, O and TN visas afford greater flexibility because they are not subject to the LCA, the lack of specific governmental guidance means that employers are still unsure of what steps they can and cannot take with regard to their workers in these visa categories. This blog discusses best practices for employers considering remote work, furloughs, reduction in hours of work or salary reductions for employees in nonimmigrant visa categories without wage requirements.

Change in Work Location

One requirement common to all visa types is that USCIS must be notified if there is a material change in the terms of employment. Over the past year, many employers have had to close headquarters and implement remote work policies. Because the E, L, O and TN visas do not require an LCA, they are not as location specific as the H-1B and they afford more flexibility regarding a change in the nonimmigrant employee’s work location.

In the L-1 context, 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(1)(7)(i)(C) states that an employer should file an amended petition to reflect changes in approved relationships, additional qualifying organizations under a blanket petition, change in capacity of employment (i.e. from a specialized knowledge position to a managerial position), or any information which would affect the beneficiary’s eligibility under the Act. As long as the L-1 employee continues to perform the duties of the approved L-1, a change in work location, especially if only temporary, should not be considered sufficiently material to require the filing of an amendment. However, employers of nonimmigrant workers in L-1 status, and especially when the change in work location will be long-term, should consider the fact that L-1s are subject to USCIS site visits. The employer should consider whether it makes more sense to file the L-1 amendment in an effort to protect against the potential negative effect of a failed USCIS site visit to the initial L-1 worksite. This was exactly what happened in Matter of W- Ltd., ID# 1735950 (AAO Nov. 20, 2018). This non-precedent decision involved an employer who relocated the L-1 employee without filing an amendment. Upon discovering, after a site visit, that the L-1 was no longer employed at the original worksite, USCIS issued a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) the approved L-1 petition. This was despite the fact that the officer was able to speak to the L-1 employee’s supervisor at the worksite, interview the L-1 employee over the phone and collect additional information from the L-1 employee via email! The employer responded to the NOIR explaining the relocation and that the L-1 employee continued to perform in the same position. However, the L-1 was still revoked. USCIS stated that it was not evident that the beneficiary was currently employed in a managerial position pursuant to the terms and conditions of the approved petition. Upon appeal, the employer successfully argued that neither the statute, regulations, nor USCIS policy expressly require an L- I employer to file an amended petition in every instance where a beneficiary is transferred to a new worksite to perform similar duties for the same employer. The Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) agreed and held that the L-1 had been improperly revoked. While this decision is excellent it is still only a non-precedent decision and the AAO stated that such determinations must be made on a case-by-case basis. Employers considering permanently relocating their L-1 employees may wish to engage in a costs-benefits analysis to determine whether it would make more sense to simply file the amended petition rather than risk a failed site visit and a possible revocation which would likely have a negative impact on their business and on the L-1 employee who would not be able to continue to work and may even have to leave the US while the revocation is under appeal. If the L-1 obtained L-1 status based on a blanket L-1 petition and will be relocated to an office location already listed in the approved blanket petition, then the L-1 amended petition would not be required.

The E, O and TN visas are not currently subject to site visits. As long as the other terms and conditions of employment remain the same, it is not likely that an employer would encounter any issues in implementing a switch to remote work.

Furloughs

A ‘furlough’ is a temporary leave of absence from employment duties, without pay. Employers continue to consider furloughs as a means to decrease spending as the pandemic continues. Generally, a nonimmigrant worker may request unpaid leave for personal reasons, such as to take care of a sick parent, and the employer may grant this leave as long as it is well documented in the employee’s file, the period of absence is reasonable, and the employer-employee relationship is maintained throughout the leave. But a furlough is not a voluntary request for leave.

Since there has been no communication to the contrary from USCIS, a furlough can only be interpreted in one way and that is to effectively place the nonimmigrant worker employee out of status. An employer who wants to implement furloughs but maintain the ability of the E, L-1, O or TN worker to return to work at the end of the furlough period, could take advantage of the fact that employees in these nonimmigrant statuses, under 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2) are allowed a grace period of 60 days upon a cessation of their employment. Specifically, these nonimmigrant workers shall not be considered to have failed to maintain nonimmigrant status solely on the basis of a cessation of the employment on which their nonimmigrant classification was based, for up to 60 consecutive days. The grace period could be shortened if worker’s remaining nonimmigrant status validity period is less than 60 days. In this case, the grace period will end when the status expires. If the employee is rehired, under the same working conditions described in their nonimmigrant visa petition, before the end of their grace period, then they could go back to business as usual. A nonimmigrant worker may only be granted this grace period once during each authorized validity period. Accordingly, an employer could only utilize this furlough strategy once during the employee’s validity period without jeopardizing the employee’s nonimmigrant status and maintaining the ability to rehire the employee.

Reduction in the Number of Hours Worked

A reduction in the number of hours worked, switching from full-time to part-time employment, could be considered a material change necessitating the filing of an amended petition. Because the E, L-1, O and TN visas are not tied to an LCA, it may be possible for the employer to reduce the nonimmigrant employee’s work hours especially if that change will only be temporary. While it could be argued that the switch to part-time employment is not material, the issue must be analyzed on a case by case basis to ensure that all other terms and conditions of the nonimmigrant worker’s employment will remain the same especially if the change will be long-term. For example, if there are some job duties that will no longer be performed, perhaps because the company downsized, best practices may necessitate the filing of an amended petition to describe the new part-time position.

Salary Reduction

Once again, because there is no LCA and therefore, no prevailing wage requirement attached to the E, L-1, O and TN visas, a reduction in salary may be permissible as long as the other terms and conditions of employment continue to be fulfilled.  The facts of each case ought to be carefully examined. If the L-1 nonimmigrant worker will continue to work in their executive, managerial or specialized knowledge capacity, a reduction in salary, especially when company-wide, should likely have no effect on L-1 status. Cyrus Mehta discussed the effect of salary reductions here and pointed out that while it is quite settled that the L-1 worker’s employment is not necessarily determinative upon the amount or existence of a salary, the question of whether the L-1 worker’s salary is commensurate with his or her executive, managerial or specialized knowledge position is one that should be carefully considered, especially if that change is significant. For example, a substantial salary reduction, such as halving of the original salary, may be significant enough to warrant an amended L-1 petition. Again, this must be assessed on a case by case basis. If the L-1 worker continues to perform in the same capacity, and continues to be compensated from overseas, then it may still be defensible to not file an amendment.  Further, employers should be careful not to offer a wage that violates the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. USCIS is prohibited from approving such an L-1 petition under its adopted decision, Matter of I Corp, Adopted Decision 2017-02 (AAO April 12, 2017).

For an E-2 investor, a reduction in salary is permissible as long as the E-2 enterprise does not become marginal. An enterprise is marginal if it does not have the present or future capacity to generate income to provide for more than a minimal living for the E-2 investor and family. An enterprise that continues to employ workers other than the investor and his or her family is not marginal. Similar to the above discussion in the L-1 context, employers of E-1/E-2 employees in managerial, executive, essential or specialized positions should always consider whether a new, lower salary is still commensurate with the nature of the E-2 position.

In the end, it is worth reiterating that every case must be examined on its own merits. While great flexibilities may exist with regard to what could be considered a material change in E, L, O and TN contexts, that doesn’t mean that the government won’t ask questions later. A careful costs-benefits analysis may lead to the conclusion that it is safest to file an amended petition rather than being forced to later defend current decisions. Having said that, the costs-benefits analysis must include the fact that USCIS rescinded its policy of requiring officers to defer to prior determinations in petitions for extension of nonimmigrant status. This policy has not yet been rescinded by the Biden administration. Employers must consider whether the bigger risk lies in filing an amended petition only to have it be denied for new reasons that were not at issue when the initial petition was approved or in not filing the amendment and leaving the matter open to potential questions or an NOIR in the future.

Cyrus Mehta

FAQ on Changes in Salary and Other Working Conditions for Nonimmigrant Workers in L-1, O, TN, E and F-1 Status Due to COVID-19

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In continuation of my Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) relating to the COVID-19 crisis on immigration issues, I focus on other nonimmigrant visa categories besides the H-1B visa category. Changes in employment at the workplace, especially salary reductions, continue to abound especially for other nonimmigrant visa workers in L, E, O and TN status. There are also questions relating to students in F-1 status who are under Optional Practical Training.  Although a prior FAQ covered changes in salary and working conditions for H-1B workers, where the Department of Labor imposes rigid and inflexible rules, there may be more flexibility for other nonimmigrant visa categories that are not subject to DOL rules and the Labor Condition Application. Since there are plenty of grey areas with no definitive answers, my interpretations of these rules are based on my experience in advising employers and H-1B workers during past disasters and presently during the COVID-19 crisis.

1. Can the salary of an L-1 nonimmigrant worker be reduced as a result of the adverse economic impact caused by the COVID-19 crisis?

Since the L-1 visa is not governed by the same DOL rules as the H-1B visa category, it may be permissible to reduce the compensation of a nonimmigrant worker on an L-1A or L-1B visa. So long as the nonimmigrant is working in the appropriate L-1 capacity as either an executive or manager or in a specialized knowledge capacity, a reduction in salary ought not to be considered as a violation on the part of the employer or status violation for the nonimmigrant worker. There is a long line of administrative decisions holding that the employment of an L-1 worker is not necessarily determinative upon the amount or existence of a salary. A non-salaried chairman has been able to qualify for an L-1, see Matter of Tessel, Inc., 17 I&N Dec. 631 (AAC 1981), and the salary may even emanate from the foreign entity, see Matter of Pozzoli, 14 I&N Dec. 569. While there is a legal basis for an L-1 worker’s salary to be reduced, this does not mean that the government cannot later question whether the lower salary is commensurate to the executive, managerial or specialized position under the L-1 visa. One should also note a recent decision, see Matter of I Corp, Adopted Decision 2017-02 (AAO April 12, 2017), which held that USCIS cannot approve an L-1 petition where the proffered wage violated the minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Changing the terms of an L-1 worker’s employment in the US from full time to part-time may also not require an amendment as it may not constitute a material change so long as the worker is still employed in the qualifying L-1 capacity.

2. Can one re-file under the L-1 “new office” rule if the business has been impacted due to COVID-19?

The USCIS rules governing the L-1 visa category detail special provisions where a new parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate office is opened in the US within 1 year, and this new office petitions for an L-1 visa for a manager, executive or specialized knowledge worker. The petition may be approved even if there is no proof of extensive business activity. A new office is an organization which has been doing business in the US through a parent, subsidiary or branch for less than 1 year. If the business is shuttered due to a stay at home order, it may be possible to argue that it has not been doing business for 1 year, and should still be possible to obtain another extension as a new office. In the past, the USCIS has not been receptive to such arguments if the business has been in existence for 1 year, but could not function due to economic downturns. However, it would not hurt to apply as a “new office” for another year, in the alternative, when also applying for a regular 2 year extension given the most unusual economic impact COVID-19 has caused, and the fact that the business was forced to stay shut as a result of government orders and not due to the volition of the employer.

3. Is there similar salary flexibility for a nonimmigrant on an O-1, E-1, E-2 or TN visa?

I would say “Yes” since these nonimmigrant categories are also not subject to the LCA and other DOL rules. With respect to the O-1 visa, if one of the basis to establish extraordinary was to demonstrate a high salary in relation to others, then a reduction in the O-1 worker’s salary may undermine the worker’s ability to maintain status. On the other hand, if there has been an across the board reduction for all persons in that category, then the salary reduction could still be potentially justified as being in comparison to others who have demonstrated extraordinary ability in the field.

With regards to an E-2 investor, it is important for the investor to demonstrate that the enterprise is not marginal. An enterprise is marginal if it does not have present or future capacity to generate more than a minimal living for the investor and the family. Therefore, it would be important to demonstrate that a drop in revenues from the business that would otherwise sustain the investor was temporary due to COVID-19.

4. Can nonimmigrant workers in L, O and TN status perform their duties without pay and not be in danger of violating their status?

One could argue that so long as the nonimmigrant worker is performing the duties for the employer under the terms of the nonimmigrant visa category, it would not be a violation of their status even if the employer cases to pay them. The government will likely disagree, but it may be possible to counter argue that ICE has indirectly allowed F-1 students who are engaged in Optional Practical Training to serve in a voluntary capacity in work that is related to their studies so long as it is 20 or more hours (although the 20 hour minimum requirement has been relaxed during COVID-19). For instance, an F-1 who graduated with a law degree could conceivably still be legitimately maintaining status under F-1 OPT by providing pro bono representation to indigent clients. Note that ICE does not permit voluntary employment under STEM OPT. Still, employers have to be careful that they do not violate federal and state laws regarding paying the minimum wage. This sort of voluntary situation would more readily apply to an O-1 who is traditionally self-employed or an E-2 investor in a startup that has yet  to generate revenues.

5. Would nonimmigrant visa holders in E-3 and H-1B1 status have the same flexibility?

No. Since the E-3 (for Australians) and the H-1B1 (for  Singaporeans and Chileans) visa categories are subject to the LCA like the H-1B visa category, please refer to my prior FAQ relating to changes in salary and working conditions for H-1B workers.

6. Can an F-1 engage in Curricular Practical Training while overseas?

Yes. According to the latest COVID-19 Guidance for SEVP Stakeholders dated April 30, 2020, students may engage in CPT during their time abroad, provided they are:

  • Enrolled in a program of study in which CPT is integral to the program of study;
  • Their DSO authorized CPT in advance of the CPT start date; and
  • Either the employer has an office outside the United States or the employer can assess student engagement and attainment of learning objectives electronically. According to earlier March 13, 2020, COVID-19: Guidance for SEVP Stakeholders, this enrollment may be online. All other requirements at 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(i) still apply.

7. Can an F-1 engage in Optional Practical Training while overseas?

Although an F-1 can engage in OPT while working in the US for an employer remotely, it has not been determined by DHS whether a student can engage in OPT while overseas during the COVID-19 period. Since USCIS also adjudicates applications for employment authorization, this is not just an SEVP issue.  Since an F-1 OPT cannot be unemployed for more than 90 days, and a STEM OPT cannot be unemployed for more than 150 days, an F-1 should be prepared  to argue that working overseas for a US employer while overseas during the COVID-19 crisis did not constitute  unemployment during OPT or STEM OPT.

Fortunately, in 2010, SEVP provided the following guidance, which is likely applicable even during COVID-19:

“Time spent outside the United States during an approved period of post completion OPT counts as unemployment against the 90/120-day limits, unless the student is either:

  • Employed during a period of leave authorized by an employer; or
  • Traveling as part of his or her employment.”

While this 2010 does not directly relate to a student working remotely for an employer while overseas during the COVID-19 period, as the student is neither on authorized leave nor travelling as part of the employment, it is closely analogous and hopefully SEVP and USCIS should approve of remote OPT employment while overseas as not counting towards unemployment.

 

Cyrus Mehta

Stop the Assault on Employment Immigration to the USA

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At the behest of Senator Grassley (R-IA), the DHS Office of Inspector General recently issue a controversial report, The Effects of USCIS Adjudication Procedures and Policies on Fraud Detection by Immigration Service Officers. I wonder about the intentions of Senator Grassley who put a hold on the Fairness For High Skilled Immigrants Act, which passed the Republican controlled House of Representatives by a landslide on November 29, 2011. More recently, Senator Grassley also put a hold on the Startup Visa Act, which has also received bipartisan support. Is he truly concerned about the integrity of the system or is there a deeper hidden agenda. Mind you, he has also been a foe of immigration from India with his recent opposition to the use of the H-1B and B-1 visas by Indian IT professionals. It is amazing how one Senator, who has only one vote among 100 Senators, can have so much influence over immigration policy. It is time to speak out.The report stems from a pet concern of Senator Grassley, as expressed by Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith in a February 15, 2012 hearing  before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, about whether “senior [USCIS] leaders are putting pressure on employees to approve more visa applications, even if the applications might be fraudulent or the applicant is ineligible.”

The Inspector General interviewed 147 managers and staff, received 256 responses to an online survey, and reviewed USCIS policies related to the effort to detect benefit fraud. The report was based on testimonials, not empirical data. The report recommended process improvements, such as instituting more training and collaboration to improve the fraud referral process; developing additional quality assurance or supervisory review procedures to strengthen identification of names and aliases of those seeking an immigration benefit; performing nationwide onsite outreach efforts to discuss the performance management system with Immigration Service Officers (ISOs); developing standards to permit more time for an ISO’s review of case files; revising policy on requests for evidence (RFEs) to clarify the role that the requests play in the adjudication process; and developing a policy to “establish limitations for [USCIS] managers and attorneys when they intervene in the adjudication of specific cases.” The report stated that “special treatment of complainants fosters a sense among ISOs that USCIS inappropriately grants benefits in certain cases.”

The report noted that “[t]here may be a basis for clarifying adjudication policy for O visa petitions. A low approval rate is not one of them.” The Inspector General found that O visa petitions are granted at a high rate. “Quality assurance information we examined demonstrates that excessive O visa approvals are more likely than denials.” The report stated, “From January 2008 through March 2011, the California and Vermont service centers approved 40,719 of 44,386 O visa petitions (91.7%). This approval rate exceeds the approval rate for many other nonimmigrant worker petitions. During the same time period, the two centers approved 78.5% of H-1B (specialty occupations) and 76.1% of L-1B (specialized knowledge worker) petitions.”

The Inspector General’s report noted, however, that: (1) the testimonial evidence shared by interviewees may not represent views shared by other employees; (2) USCIS has taken action to diminish threats to the immigration benefits system; (3) general employee concerns about the impact of production pressure in the quality of ISO decisions “do not mean that systemic problems compromise the ability of USCIS to detect fraud and security threats; (4) “[n]o ISOs presented us with cases where benefits were granted to those who pose terrorist or national security threats”; and (5) “[e]ven those employees who criticized management expressed confidence that USCIS would never compromise national security on a given case.”

The report concluded, however, that “[e]ven with the additional security checks and process improvements USCIS has made in the past several years, national security and fraud concerns may require more thorough review of immigration applications and petitions.” The OIG noted that “[a]dditional documentation, or further insight gained through more interview questions, would ensure that ISOs have greater confidence before making a decision.” Also, the report suggests that “Congress may wish to raise the standard of proof for some or all USCIS benefit issuance decisions.”

As an immigration practitioner, the Inspector General’s conclusions about applications being granted  too easily have no bearing with reality.  A filing of an H-1B or L petition, especially in certain industries such as IT consulting, results in a lengthy and detailed RFE asking for every aspect of the job duties, elaborate itineraries and unrealistic work schedules (such as the percentage of time performing each duty)  and other unnecessarily and trivial information about the employer and the employment. This is true even if the USCIS has been approving an H-1B petition previously on the exact facts for the very same worker who must be now be on his 10th year in H-1B status. Also, in the case of an H-1B worker in an IT consulting company who is placed at a third party client, the employer has to repeatedly demonstrate that it has a right of control  under the Neufeld Memo over this worker’s employment even if the employer demonstrated this in great detail when it last filed a request for an H-1B extension.

Senator Grassley, I ask you to put yourself in the shoes of this H-1B worker who has an approved I-140 immigrant visa petition for the green card, but is still waiting endlessly for it, along with his family, only because of the long waits in the EB-2 or EB-3 for India. If you did not put a hold on the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act, this H-1B worker may have received a green card by now or close to receiving one. He now needs to wait nervously each year for an approval, with the fear that the H-1B may be denied this time around even though it got approved under the same facts the year before and the year before that. If the H-1B gets denied this time under some arbitrarily invented heightened scrutiny standard,  he and his family will fall out of status and will have to most likely need to leave the US after working in the US legally for 10 years, paying taxes and otherwise contributing to the productivity of his employer and clients. He will also be forced to yank his brilliant children out of school disrupting their lives and causing great turmoil in their young  impressionable minds.

If the OIG report becomes USCIS policy, it will kill and stifle a US employer’s ability to bring in skilled foreign national workers on H-1B, L-1 and O-1 visas. Despite Senator Grassley placing a hold on the Startup Visa Act, the DHS in August 2011 announced initiatives for entrepreneurs who founded their own startups to be able to have the company file for an H-1B visa on their behalf. This initiative too will get killed because if the government wants to look for fraud for the sake of satisfying certain statistical requirements, it will find it by shifting the goal posts. Look how many times over the past 10 years the USCIS has redefined what it means by the US equivalent of an Indian bachelor’s degree or equivalent education, thus blowing apart I-140 petitions approved after the employer meticulously but unsuccessfully tested the US labor market. Or look how the Neufeld Memo has been aimed against a very successful business model that has served the needs of Fortune 500 US corporations. If we see stricter adjudications, the US will be deprived of the talents and vision of foreign entrepreneurs who have a burning desire to set up startups in the US even in the absence of the Startup Visa Act, which have the potential to do brilliantly well like Google, E-bay or Yahoo.

At the February 15, 2012 Congressional hearing, the testimony of Bo Cooper, former General Counsel of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, is worth noting. Summaries of other witnesses at this Congressional hearing can be found in our forthcoming March 2012 Immigration Update.  Mr. Cooper said that USCIS has released official data since the report came out. He noted that recent analysis shows that the data refute concerns “that USCIS may be institutionally biased toward unjustified approvals and that the agency observes policies that would suppress RFE issuance.” The data tell the opposite story, he said: “Particularly with respect to the key nonimmigrant categories for foreign professionals, denial rates and RFE rates have risen very sharply in recent years.”

The “most startling example,” Mr.Cooper said, appears in the L-1 program, which is used by multinational corporations to transfer managers, executives, and specialists into the United States. Noting that such visas “are an essential component of a huge range of productive economic activity in this country,” he said that L-1 visas are critical to attracting foreign investment that supports the creation of jobs for U.S. workers and are critical when U.S. companies acquire companies based oversees and need to have the acquired company’s specialists come to the United States to integrate their expertise and processes. L-1 visas are also critical to companies who need to bring specialists from their overseas affiliates into their research centers and operations in the United States, he noted. “Without predictable, reliable access to these visas, employers find themselves having to move jobs and projects to other countries.”

The data for employees with specialized knowledge in the L-1B program “shows a steep rise in denials and requests for evidence beginning in 2008,” he said, noting that the denial rate for L-1B petitions more than tripled in 2008 and is now at nearly quadruple the pre-2008 rate, at 27 percent in 2011. The RFE rate change is even starker, he said. From 2005 to 2011, the rate soared from 9 percent to 63 percent of L-1B cases.

He also noted that in the L-1A program for managers and executives being transferred within multinational corporations, the RFE rate rose from 10 percent in 2005 to 51 percent in 2011. Denial rates rose 75 percent over five years, from 8 percent in 2007 to 14 percent in 2011. In the H-1B program for professionals in specialty occupations, the denial rate increased from 11 percent in 2007 to 17 percent in 2011. Over a quarter of all H-1B filings generated an RFE in 2011.

Seen in the light of this data, Mr. Cooper said “there is no basis for the concern expressed in the OIG report that USCIS has an institutional bias in favor of approvals or against RFEs.” In fact, he said, the data show the opposite trend. Noting that USCIS said in its response to the OIG report that it is reviewing its RFE policy and aims to issue new RFE guidance this year, Mr. Cooper recommended that the new policy reflect “the needs of today’s business environment and the innovation economy,” and that it be monitored carefully once put into practice.

Finally, the Inspector General’s report asks that the standard for adjudicating visa petitions be raised from the “preponderance of evidence standard” to something higher, such as the “clear and convincing evidence” standard or the even higher standard used in criminal proceedings, which is “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Under the preponderance of evidence standard, applicants have to demonstrate that the facts in their case are slightly more true than not true. Even though the preponderance of evidence standard requires a lesser degree of proof than the clear and convincing standard, this does not mean that it provides an invitation for fraud. The preponderance of evidence is the common standard used in civil proceedings, and allows the USCIS examiner to fairly evaluate very nebulous criteria while giving the benefit of doubt to the application, for instance, whether an O-1 visa applicant is extraordinary or not or whether an L-1B worker has specialized knowledge. If the applicant provided patently fraudulent documentation, he or she can be charged with the fraud ground of inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(c)(6) and there also exist tough criminal sanctions.  In any event, it does not seem that the USCIS is faithfully adhering to the preponderance of evidence standard even today, and officially raising the bar will surely serve as an invitation for USCIS officials to arbitrarily deny even more case without fairly weighing the evidence. This would further undermine the ability of US employers to use our employment-based immigration system in an effective and rational manner to benefit them and simultaneously make the US prosper.