[author: Rachel Coyne]
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) upheld a Certifying Officer’s denial of an Employer’s Application for Permanent Certification due to the fact that the beneficiary and her husband each had a 50% ownership interest in the sponsoring entity. The CO stated that when an employer is a closely held corporation in which the alien has an ownership interest or a familial relationship with the stockholders, officers, incorporators, or partners, and is one of a small number of employees, a presumption exists that the job opportunity is not open and available to U.S. workers, which is in violation of 20 CFR §656.10(c)(8).