H1B Visa Lawyer Blog
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently affirmed the final determination of a Certifying Officer (CO) denying labor certification (LC) for an alien worker for the position of “Care Provider.”
The employer filed an application for LC which was accepted for processing on January 30, 2008. On February 15, 2008, the CO denied certification on several grounds, one being that the Job Order was placed less than 30 days prior to the date the application was filed in violation of the governing regulations.
PERM Regulation 20 C.F.R. § 656.17(e) controls and it provides that if the application is for a nonprofessional occupation, the employer must at a minimum, place a job order and two newspaper advertisements within 6 months of filing the application. The steps must be conducted at least 30 days but no more than 180 days before the filing of the application. The employer must place a job order with the State Workforce Agency (SWA) serving the area of intended employment for a period of 30 days. The start and end dates of the job order entered on the application serve as documentation of this step.
The Employer acknowlegded the timing fact, but blamed its non-compliance on the SWA; however, it is the employer’s responsibility to comply with filing requirements. As such, the Board found that the CO properly denied certification.
To read the entire decision: Maria’s Home for the Aged