The Department of Labor will soon implement a new integrated online system – known as the iCert Portal – through which employers will submit applications for permanent labor certification, labor condition applications (LCAs) and other applications for immigration-related DOL programs. In addition, the agency will introduce new editions of Form…
Tighter government oversight over the H-1B visa program and permanent employment-based immigration expected. On October 8, 2008, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) released a report that 13% of all H-1B petitions filed on behalf of U.S. employers are fraudulent. The same report also stated that another 7% of…
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) of the Department of Labor (DOL) recently ordered the employer of an IT company to pay the alien beneficiary’s unpaid salary for the full term of the H-1B visa with interest, an amount for his monthly health, dental and vision insurance benefits, an amount for…
Employers who are filing H-1B cap exempt visa petitions including extension petitions must file those petitions with the California Service Center (CSC). Additionally, please note that any H-1B cap exempt and extension petitions mistakenly sent to the Vermont Service Center (VSC) will be REJECTED. H-1B “Cap EXEMPT” petitions include petitions…
The California Service Center (CSC) has issued a statement regarding what type of documentation is sufficient proof that an H-1B beneficiary has completed the requisite degree requirements for the specialty occupation. The documentation that may be submitted to satisfy the degree requirements includes: (1) a final transcript; (2) a letter…
The Department of Labor (DOL) determined that the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) failed to pay the prevailing wage to eleven alien physicians employed by VA hospitals pursuant to the H-1B visa program. The H-1B is an employment based nonimmigrant visa that enables United States employers to seek highly skilled…
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Administrative Review Board (ARB) recently upheld the final decision of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who found that the petitioner failed to pay the H-1B beneficiary the required wage under the H-1B provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The petitioner, a not-for-profit corporation…
The U.S. immigration system is constantly changing. At a recent stakeholders meeting, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced several upcoming changes to the Labor Certification and Labor Condition Application process. Expect More PERM Audits The DOL announced that with Backlog Elimination Centers (BECs) closing, the DOL will now be…