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I-140 portable adjustment of status applicants may, if they wish, move to self-employment and maintain eligibility to adjust status on the basis of their existing I-140. The only limitation is that they must remain in the same or similar occupational classification. In their December 27, 2005 policy memo, the CIS instructed field adjudicators as follows:
Question 8. Can an alien port to self-employment under INA
ยง204(j)?Answer: Yes, as long as the requirements are met. First, the key is whether the employment is in a "same or similar" occupational classification as the job for which the original I-140 petition was filed. Second, it may be appropriate to confirm that the new employer and the job offer are legitimate through an RFE to the adjustment applicant for relevant information about these issues. Third, as with any portability case, USCIS will focus on whether the I-140 petition represented the truly intended employment at the time of the filing of both the I-140 and the I-485. This means that, as of the time of the filing of the I-140 and at the time of filing the I-485 if not filed concurrently, the I-140 petitioner must have had the intent to employ the beneficiary, and the alien must have intended to undertake the employment, upon adjustment. Adjudicators should not presume absence of such intent and may take the I-140 and supporting documents themselves as prima facie evidence of such intent, but in appropriate cases additional evidence or investigation may be appropriate.
An adjustment applicant who ports to self-employment needs to be prepared to establish that the original job offer was a good faith offer, and that both the applicant and the employer must have intended to undertake the employment, upon adjustment.