BIA HOLDS THAT, IN ADJUDICATING AN APPLICATION PER 8 CFR § 1292.2(d) FOR PARTIAL ACCREDITATION OF AN ACCREDITTED REPRESENTATIVE AT ADDITIONAL OFFICES, A RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION NEED NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH BRANCH BUT NEED ONLY APPLY FOR ONE LOCATION AND, IF APPROVED, THE REPRESENTATIVE MAY PRACTICE AT ANY BRANCH LOCATION, MODIFYING ITS PREVIOUS HOLDING IN Matter of EAC, Inc., 24 I. & N. Dec. 563 (BIA 2008).
On November 20, 2014 the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), in ruling on multiple applications for partial accreditation for an accredited representative at a recognized organization’s various offices under 8 CFR § 1292.2(d), found that the representative would be adequately supervised and supported wherever he is situated and appeared to be a person of good moral character possessing a broad knowledge of immigration law and procedure. As a result, the application was approved. However, noting that the request for accreditation at five branches involved five parallel applications, as per the practice adopted in its prior precedent decision, Matter of EAC, Inc., which the Board now found provides “no meaningful benefit”, the BIA modified its rule going forward, holding there is no reason to continue to require “per-branch” accreditation. Thus, a recognized organization need only apply for its representative’s accreditation at one location; if approved, the representative can practice at any branch location of the organization recognized by the Board. Matter of United Farm WorkersFoundation, 26 I. & N. Dec. 454 (BIA 2014). Matter of EAC, Inc., 24 I. & N. Dec. 563 (BIA 2008), modified.
