As DOL continues to experience delays in issuing PWD and adjudicating PERM applications, employers must be careful when setting the proposed wage during the PERM process. It must exceed not just the prevailing wage as set by DOL but also exceed the state's (where worksite is located) minimum wage. You do not want to wait 1.5 to 2 years for the PERM to be certified only to find that the I-140 was...
Update January 30, 2023 Just received a batch of prevailing wage determinations (PWD). It seems DOL is issuing determinations of wage requests filed in July 2022. We also got back PWDs of our earliest requests that have been pending since April 2022. No pending wage requests filed before July 2022. Update January 10, 2023 We are receiving PWDs that were filed in June 2022. However, we have some...
The processing times here generally cover PERM-based I-140s. EB-1a, EB-1b, and EB-2 NIW will be highlighted in other posts. Update 11/24/2023 We are back with some more updates on I-140 processing times. EB-2 Approval at Texas Service Center Filing Date: May 4, 2023 Approval Date: October 2, 2023 Duration: Approximately 5 months USCIS Posted Processing Time: 6.5 months EB-3 Approval at Nebraska...
On July 16, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new mailing address for its Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) Atlanta National Processing Center (ANPC) which will become effective on August 25, 2021. What this means for PERM cases, specifically PERM recruitment, is that the notice of filing must show the new address starting September 5, 2021. The new address is: U.S....
Employers should keep in mind of additional requirements during the PERM process if there has been a layoff within 6 months of filing the PERM application. The relevant regulation states the following: If there has been a layoff by the employer applicant in the area of intended employment within six months of filing an application involving the occupation for which certification is sought or in...
The new Form ETA-9141, Application for Prevailing Wage Determination is set to go live on May 3, 2021. DOL held a webinar on April 27, 2021, regarding the new changes to the form. A presentation slide may be downloaded here. Any saved drafts that haven't been submitted will be deleted on May 3, 2021. Other updates include: Processing time for PERM and prevailing wage determination is not...
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DOL’s OFLC has released a FAQ regarding the extent of its accommodations for employers in Texas and Oklahoma who were impacted by the recent weather disaster. Accommodations include, for example, deadline flexibility and guidance relating to unintended changes in worksite. Anyone in these states who has on-going cases relating to PERM, labor certification, prevailing wage request, H-2A, H-2B,...
Employers may now request reissuance of Prevailing Wage Determination PWD, issued from October 8, 2020 through December 4, 2020, which reflected a much higher wage based on the wage methodology used pursuant to an interim final rule which is no longer in effect. The deadline to request reissuance is February 8, 2021. The request must be based on an emergency situation which may be the following:...
There are two published Final Rules released during the waning days of the Trump administration that would only allow high salary H-1B workers to be employed in the U.S. Below is a summary breakdown of the new rules and effective dates: 1. Final Rule on increasing H-1B wages (issued on January 14, 2021). Effective date: March 15, 2021. This is basically an amended version of similar rule that...