{"id":442,"date":"2020-12-28T13:38:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T13:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.h1btransfersusa.com\/blog\/?p=442"},"modified":"2020-12-28T13:38:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T13:38:55","slug":"are-h-1b-programmers-normally-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.h1btransfersusa.com\/blog\/are-h-1b-programmers-normally-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"View: Are H-1B programmers “normally” professional?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

H-1B programmers: The US government<\/strong> says there is a distinction between the words: normally, usually, and typically. The courts <\/strong>oppose this idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government offices everywhere in the world are guilty <\/strong>of exalting bureaucracy over common sense to some extent. But, nowhere is this more clear than in the too-often experienced bizarre interpretation <\/strong>of its laws by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (USCIS<\/strong>). A new case that examined such an interpretation is illustrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a case decided by a federal court of appeals on December 16, 2020<\/strong>. The court declined to favor the USCIS in its holding that “programmers”<\/strong> as a profession don’t require at least a bachelor’s degree. The degree of necessity is significant because an H-1B visa<\/strong> is available. Only if the profession of an offered job requires a specific bachelor\u2019s degree<\/strong> (for instance specifically in computer science, not just science).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no contest that the law does mandate that for a profession to qualify for H-1B classification<\/strong>. A degree should be required yet the court was inspecting whether such a degree <\/strong>should consistently be required. Or is it sufficient that a degree is \u201cnormally\u201d required?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H-1B Programmers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The H-1B employer<\/strong>, Innova Solutions, Inc., needed to hire as a computer programmer an Indian resident who had the necessary degree. They appealed to for an H-1B visa <\/strong>for his benefit. The USCIS denied the petition. It held that the profession of H1B programmers<\/strong> is ineligible for H-1B visas. Because the US Department of Labor information shows just that most computer programmers have a bachelor’s degree<\/strong> in computer science or a related subject. Therefore, not all H-1B programmers should have the required degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Labor information that the USCIS <\/strong>depended upon is contained in a publication called the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH<\/strong>). Which is supposed to be a comprehensive compendium and reference source for US jobs.<\/strong> Unfortunately for all partners, the OOH is woefully incomplete. For example, the OOH, to this day, does not describe the occupation of Data Science<\/strong>. An occupation that has been well recognized for longer than 10 years.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its refusal and ensuing court proceedings, the USCIS <\/strong>contended two main points. First, the degree requirement should apply to all developers<\/strong>. They contended this point quoting from the language of the regulations<\/strong>. That a bachelor’s degree is the “typical level of education that most” computer programmers<\/strong> need. The USCIS reasoned that “the OOH doesn’t express that at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty is normally the minimum required.” Second, the words “commonly” and “ordinarily” (also “typically”) carry various meanings and connotations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The words of the Court of Appeals<\/strong> best summarize their disdain for the USCIS position on both arguments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the court said, \u201cnormal\u201d is not synonymous with \u201calways:\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“Normally doesn’t mean always. See Normally, Cambridge Dictionary <\/strong>(2019), (defining “normally” as “usually or regularly” and “usually, or in most cases.”\u2026 While offices <\/strong>are qualified for reverence in deciphering their equivocal guidelines, these regulations <\/strong>are not ambiguous and deference to such an implausible interpretation is unwarranted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the words \u201ctypical\u201d and \u201cnormal\u201d are synonymous:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no daylight between commonly required, per the OOH, and normally required, per the regulatory criteria<\/strong>. “Normally” and “typically” are equivalent words. Normally, Merriam-Webster Thesaurus.<\/strong> The Supreme Court utilizes these words conversely in a similar sentence. We do as well. So does the United States<\/strong> Solicitor General. And so does the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Optional Practical Training Program for F-1 students (OPT) Is Not Illegal, Judge Rules<\/span><\/a>]<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

From a common-sense perspective, it is disturbing that an H-1B expert’s <\/strong>career and life should depend upon nuances of the English language<\/strong> rather than his or her professional accomplishments. It is even more alarming that to avail itself of the services of a needed programmer<\/strong>. A US employer would need to battle their way through two levels of the federal court system. This process is neither cheap nor expeditious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We, who practice immigration law<\/strong>, and the individuals who need its appropriate application, continually deal with federal agencies<\/strong> who are offbeat, inconsistent, and regularly absurd. The abnormal for us is normal, typical, and common.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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