[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 8, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 8CFR210.3]

[Page 176-180]
 
                     TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY
 
               CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 210_SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  210.3  Eligibility.

    (a) General. An alien who, during the twelve-month period ending on 
May 1, 1986, has engaged in qualifying agricultural employment in the 
United States for at least 90 man-days is eligible for status as an 
alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence if otherwise admissible 
under the provisions of section 210(c) of the Act and if he or she is 
not ineligible under the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section.
    (b) Proof of eligibility--(1) Burden of proof. An alien applying for 
adjustment of status under this part has the burden of proving by a 
preponderance of the evidence that he or she has worked the requisite 
number of man-days, is admissible to the United States under the 
provisions of section 210(c) of the Act, is otherwise eligible for 
adjustment of status under this section and in the case of a Group 1 
applicant, has resided in the United States for the requisite periods. 
If the applicant cannot provide documentation which shows qualifying 
employment for each of the requisite man-days, or in the case of a Group 
1 applicant, which meets the residence requirement, the applicant may 
meet his or her burden of proof by providing documentation sufficient to 
establish the requisite employment or residence as a matter of just and 
reasonable inference. The inference to be drawn from the documentation 
provided shall depend on the extent of the documentation, its 
credibility and amenability to verification as set forth in paragraphs 
(b)(2) and (3) of this section. If an applicant establishes that he or 
she has in fact performed the requisite qualifying agricultural 
employment by producing sufficient evidence to show the extent of that 
employment as a matter of just and reasonable inference, the burden then 
shifts to the Service to disprove the applicant's evidence by showing 
that the inference drawn from the evidence is not reasonable.
    (2) Evidence. The sufficiency of all evidence produced by the 
applicant will be judged according to its probative value and 
credibility. Original documents will be given greater weight than 
copies. To meet his or her burden of proof, an applicant must provide 
evidence of eligibility apart from his or her own testimony. Analysis of 
evidence submitted will include consideration of the fact that work 
performed by minors and spouses is sometimes credited to a principal 
member of a family.
    (3) Verification. Personal testimony by an applicant which is not 
corroborated, in whole or in part, by other credible evidence (including 
testimony of persons other than the applicant) will not serve to meet an 
applicant's burden of proof. All evidence of identity, qualifying 
employment, admissibility, and eligibility submitted by an applicant for 
adjustment of status under this part will be subject to verification by 
the Service. Failure by an applicant to release information protected by 
the Privacy Act or related laws when such information is essential to 
the proper adjudication of an application may result in denial of the 
benefit sought. The Service may solicit from agricultural producers, 
farm labor contractors, collective bargaining organizations and other 
groups or organizations which maintain records of employment, lists of 
workers against which evidence of qualifying employment can be checked. 
If such corroborating evidence is not available and the evidence 
provided is deemed insufficient, the application may be denied.
    (4) Securing SAW employment records. When a SAW applicant alleges 
that an employer or farm labor contractor refuses to provide him or her 
with records relating to his or her employment and the applicant has 
reason to believe such records exist, the Service shall attempt to 
secure such records. However, prior to any attempt by the Service to 
secure the employment records, the following conditions must be met: a 
SAW application (Form I-700) must have been filed; an interview must 
have been conducted; the applicant's testimony must support credibly his 
or her claim; and, the Service must determine that the application 
cannot

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be approved in the absence of the employer or farm labor contractor 
records. Provided each of these conditions has been met, and after 
unsuccessful attempts by the Service for voluntary compliance, the 
District Directors shall utilize section 235 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act and issue a subpoena in accordance with 8 CFR 287.4, in 
such cases where the employer or farm labor contractor refuses to 
release the needed employment records.
    (c) Documents. A complete application for adjustment of status must 
be accompanied by proof of identity, evidence of qualifying employment, 
evidence of residence and such evidence of admissibility or eligibility 
as may be requested by the examining immigration officer in accordance 
with requirements specified in this part. At the time of filing, 
certified copies of documents may be submitted in lieu of originals. 
However, at the time of the interview, wherever possible, the original 
documents must be presented except for the following: Official 
government records; employment or employment related records maintained 
by employers, unions, or collective bargaining organizations; medical 
records; school records maintained by a school or school board; or other 
records maintained by a party other than the applicant. Copies of 
records maintained by parties other than the applicant which are 
submitted in evidence must be certified as true and correct by such 
parties and must bear their seal or signature or the signature and title 
of persons authorized to act in their behalf. If at the time of the 
interview the return of original documents is desired by the applicant, 
they must be accompanied by notarized copies or copies certified true 
and correct by a qualified designated entity or by the alien's 
representative in the format prescribed in Sec.  204.2(j)(1) or (2) of 
this chapter. At the discretion of the district director or consular 
officer, original documents, even if accompanied by certified copies, 
may be temporarily retained for further examination.
    (1) Proof of identity. Evidence to establish identity is listed 
below in descending order of preference:
    (i) Passport;
    (ii) Birth certificate;
    (iii) Any national identity document from a foreign country bearing 
a photo and/or fingerprint (e.g., ``cedula'', ``cartilla'', ``carte 
d'identite,'' etc.);
    (iv) Driver's license or similar document issued by a state if it 
contains a photo;
    (v) Baptismal record or marriage certificate;
    (vi) Affidavits, or
    (vii) Such other documentation which may establish the identity of 
the applicant.
    (2) Assumed names--(i) General. In cases where an applicant claims 
to have met any of the eligibility criteria under an assumed name, the 
applicant has the burden of proving that the applicant was in fact the 
person who used that name.
    (ii) Proof of common identity. The most persuasive evidence is a 
document issued in the assumed name which identifies the applicant by 
photograph, fingerprint or detailed physical description. Other evidence 
which will be considered are affidavit(s) by a person or persons other 
than the applicant, made under oath, which identify the affiant by name 
and address and state the affiant's relationship to the applicant and 
the basis of the affiant's knowledge of the applicant's use of the 
assumed name. Affidavits accompanied by a photograph which has been 
identified by the affiant as the individual known to the affiant under 
the assumed name in question will carry greater weight. Other documents 
showing the assumed name may serve to establish the common identity when 
substantiated by corroborating detail.
    (3) Proof of employment. The applicant may establish qualifying 
employment through government employment records, or records maintained 
by agricultural producers, farm labor contractors, collective bargaining 
organizations and other groups or organizations which maintain records 
of employment, or such other evidence as worker identification issued by 
employers or collective bargaining organizations, union membership cards 
or other union records such as dues receipts or records of the 
applicant's involvement or that

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of his or her immediate family with organizations providing services to 
farmworkers, or work records such as pay stubs, piece work receipts, W-2 
Forms or certification of the filing of Federal income tax returns on 
IRS Form 6166, or state verification of the filing of state income tax 
returns. Affidavits may be submitted under oath, by agricultural 
producers, foremen, farm labor contractors, union officials, fellow 
employees, or other persons with specific knowledge of the applicant's 
employment. The affiant must be identified by name and address; the name 
of the applicant and the relationship of the affiant to the applicant 
must be stated; and the source of the information in the affidavit (e.g. 
personal knowledge, reliance on information provided by others, etc.) 
must be indicated. The affidavit must also provide information regarding 
the crop and the type of work performed by the applicant and the period 
during which such work was performed. The affiant must provide a 
certified copy of corroborating records or state the affiant's 
willingness to personally verify the information provided. The weight 
and probative value of any affidavit accepted will be determined on the 
basis of the substance of the affidavit and any documents which may be 
affixed thereto which may corroborate the information provided.
    (4) Proof of residence. Evidence to establish residence in the 
United States during the requisite period(s) includes: Employment 
records as described in paragraph (c)(3) of this section; utility bills 
(gas, electric, phone, etc.), receipts, or letters from companies 
showing the dates during which the applicant received service; school 
records (letters, report cards, etc.) from the schools that the 
applicant or his or her children have attended in the United States 
showing the name of school, name and, if available, address of student, 
and periods of attendance, and hospital or medical records showing 
similar information; attestations by churches, unions, or other 
organizations to the applicant's residence by letter which: Identify 
applicant by name, are signed by an official (whose title is shown), 
show inclusive dates of membership, state the address where applicant 
resided during the membership period, include the seal of the 
organization impressed on the letter, establish how the author knows the 
applicant, and the origin of the information; and additional documents 
that could show that the applicant was in the United States at a 
specific time, such as: Money order receipts for money sent out of the 
country; passport entries; birth certificates of children born in the 
United States; bank books with dated transactions; letters of 
correspondence between the applicant and another person or organization; 
Social Security card; Selective Service card; automobile license 
receipts, title, vehicle registration, etc.; deeds, mortgages, contracts 
to which applicant has been a party; tax receipts; insurance policies, 
receipts, or letters; and any other document that will show that 
applicant was in the United States at a specific time. For Group 2 
eligibility, evidence of performance of the required 90 man-days of 
seasonal agricultural services shall constitute evidence of qualifying 
residence.
    (5) Proof of financial responsibility. Generally, the evidence of 
employment submitted under paragraph (c)(3) of this section will serve 
to demonstrate the alien's financial responsibility. If it appears that 
the applicant may be inadmissible under section 212(a)(15) of the Act, 
he or she may be required to submit documentation showing a history of 
employment without reliance on public cash assistance for all periods of 
residence in the United States.
    (d) Ineligible classes. The following classes of aliens are 
ineligible for temporary residence under this part:
    (1) An alien who at any time was a nonimmigrant exchange visitor 
under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Act who is subject to the two-year 
foreign residence requirement unless the alien has complied with that 
requirement or the requirement has been waived pursuant to the 
provisions of section 212(e) of the Act;
    (2) An alien excludable under the provisions of section 212(a) of 
the Act whose grounds of excludability may not be waived, pursuant to 
section 210(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act;

[[Page 179]]

    (3) An alien who has been convicted of a felony, or three or more 
misdemeanors.
    (e) Exclusion grounds--(1) Grounds of exclusion not to be applied. 
Sections (14), (20), (21), (25), and (32) of section 212(a) of the Act 
shall not apply to applicants applying for temporary resident status.
    (2) Waiver of grounds for exclusion. Except as provided in paragraph 
(e)(3) of this section, the Service may waive any other provision of 
section 212(a) of the Act only in the case of individual aliens for 
humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when the granting of 
such a waiver is in the public interest. If an alien is excludable on 
grounds which may be waived as set forth in this paragraph, he or she 
shall be advised of the procedures for applying for a waiver of grounds 
of excludability on Form I-690. When an application for waiver of 
grounds of excludability is submitted in conjunction with an application 
for temporary residence under this section, it shall be accepted for 
processing at the legalization office, overseas processing office, or 
designated port of entry. If an application for waiver of grounds of 
excludability is submitted after the alien's preliminary interview at 
the legalization office it shall be forwarded to the appropriate 
regional processing facility. All applications for waivers of grounds of 
excludability must be accompanied by the correct fee in the exact 
amount. All fees for applications filed in the United States other than 
those within the provisions of Sec.  210.2(c)(4) must be in the form of 
a money order, cashier's check, or bank check. No personal checks or 
currency will be accepted. Fees for waiver applications filed at the 
designated port of entry under the preliminary application standard must 
be submitted in United States currency. Fees will not be waived or 
refunded under any circumstances. Generally, an application for waiver 
of grounds of excludability under this part submitted at a legalization 
office or overseas processing office will be approved or denied by the 
director of the regional processing facility in whose jurisdiction the 
applicant's application for adjustment of status was filed. However, in 
cases involving clear statutory ineligibility or admitted fraud, such 
application for a waiver may be denied by the district director in whose 
jurisdiction the application is filed; in cases filed at overseas 
processing offices, such application for a waiver may be denied by a 
consular officer; or, in cases returned to a legalization office for 
reinterview, such application may be approved at the discretion of the 
district director. Waiver applications filed at the port of entry under 
the preliminary application standard will be approved or denied by the 
district director having jurisdiction over the port of entry. The 
applicant shall be notified of the decision and, if the application is 
denied, of the reason(s) therefor. The applicant may appeal the decision 
within 30 days after the service of the notice pursuant to the 
provisions of Sec.  103.3(a)(2) of this chapter.
    (3) Grounds of exclusion that may not be waived. The following 
provisions of section 212(a) of the Act may not be waived:
    (i) Paragraphs (9) and (10) (criminals);
    (ii) Paragraph (15) (public charge) except as provided in paragraph 
(c)(4) of this section.
    (iii) Paragraph (23) (narcotics) except for a single offense of 
simple possession of thirty grams or less of marijuana.
    (iv) Paragraphs (27), (prejudicial to the public interest), (28), 
(communists), and (29) (subversive);
    (v) Paragraph (33) (Nazi persecution).
    (4) Special Rule for determination of public charge. An applicant 
who has a consistent employment history which shows the ability to 
support himself and his or her family, even though his income may be 
below the poverty level, is not excludable under paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of 
this section. The applicant's employment history need not be continuous 
in that it is uninterrupted. It should be continuous in the sense that 
the applicant shall be regularly attached to the workforce, has an 
income over a substantial period of the applicable time, and has 
demonstrated the capacity to exist on his or her income and maintain his 
or her family without reliance on public cash assistance. This 
regulation is prospective in that the Service shall determine, based on 
the applicant's history, whether he or she

[[Page 180]]

is likely to become a public charge. Past acceptance of public cash 
assistance within a history of consistent employment will enter into 
this decision. The weight given in considering applicability of the 
public charge provisions will depend on many factors, but the length of 
time an applicant has received public cash assistance will constitute a 
significant factor.

[53 FR 10064, Mar. 29, 1988, as amended at 53 FR 27335, July 20, 1988; 
54 FR 4757, Jan. 31, 1989; 55 FR 12629, Apr. 5, 1990]