March 11, 2009

California Service Center Discusses Documentation Confirming that the H-1B Beneficiary has Completed Degree Requirements

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Liaison asked the California Service Center (CSC) to confirm what kind of documentation would be satisfactory to show that the beneficiary of an H-1B petition has completed his/her degree requirements. The CSC stated that it would accept the following documentation so long as the degree requirements were completed prior to filing:

• A final transcript;
• A letter from the Registrar; or
• A letter from the person in charge of the educational institution’s records so long as the person shows that he/she is authorized to issue such a letter.

AILA recommends including this documentation with the initial filing in order to avoid an RFE or an outright denial.