\ afm \ Adjudicator's Field Manual - Redacted Public Version \ Chapter 10 An Overview of the Adjudication Process. \ 10.18 Certification of Decisions.
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10.18 Certification of Decisions.
(a)
General
.
A certification is a request by the deciding official for review of a decision (approval or denial) by an appellate authority. A decision may be certified to the appropriate appellate authority (AAO or BIA). In a case where there is no appeal provided by regulation, certification is to the AAO. Certification should be initiated in a case where:
·
Headquarters has directed certification of an individual case, class of cases or cases with particular fact patterns;
·
the deciding official believes the facts or issues of a case are so novel or complex that review by a higher level of authority is an appropriate means of obtaining guidance.
A certification, whether the decision is to approve or deny a case, requires a formal written order and preparation of Form I-290C. A certified decision is not considered final until the order has been considered by the appellate body. [See
8 CFR103.4
.]
(b)
Procedures for Forwarding
.
In order to certify a case, the office preparing the initial decision must assemble a compete record of proceedings in the same manner as a record prepared for an appeal, including the “Board” and “Public” copies.
10.20 Adjudications Approval Stamps, Facsimile Stamps and Dry Seals
[reserved]
Reserved under major revision.