As hospitals and medical centers continue to face enormous challenges in staffing, employers are looking for alternatives to meet these seemingly unfillable positions. The high demand for foreign nurses has contributed to a...more
Seventeen states joined in a suit in June to block the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new rule providing more protections to farmworkers employed as H-2A temporary visa holders. Now, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that the legacy iCERT system for the preparation and submission of labor certification applications will be fully decommissioned on...more
Each year the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees the administration of the H-2B program that provides up to 66,000 visas for non-citizen workers to enter the United States to fill jobs in non-agricultural seasonal...more
As we discussed in a recent post, equal pay transparency (EPT) laws are on the rise across the country. While complex in their own right, EPT laws introduce new risks and challenges for employers undergoing an already...more
Following reports of competing bills in the House and Senate, the U.S. government is potentially headed for a shutdown, which would begin on October 1, 2023, the beginning of the 2024 fiscal year. This would directly affect...more
In the realm of corporate risk, immigration-related concerns often take a back seat. But a closer look at the current Administration’s actions reveals where priorities lie and which industries, sectors, and companies may be...more
After the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) labor contracts with the “Detroit Three” automakers expired on September 14, 2023, and the parties were not able to agree on new contract terms, the UAW began striking at targeted plants...more
This is the first of a two-part series on the three factors to consider when evaluating the possible impact a job change could have on a certified PERM labor certification and a foreign national’s green card process. ...more
To hire a foreign worker on a permanent basis, the most common pathway for employers to sponsor an employee for a Green Card is through obtaining a permanent Labor Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This...more
Beginning on June 1, 2023, filers submitting PERM Applications for Permanent Employment Certification must submit the revised ETA-9089 in the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system, the U.S. Department of Labor’s...more
Employers seeking to hire a non-US worker on a permanent basis are generally required to undertake a lengthy, complex sponsorship process involving both the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the United States Citizenship and...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has postponed the date for submission of permanent labor certification (PERM) applications and CW-1 applications for temporary employment...more
Over the course of the past few months, several major tech companies in the United States have announced large-scale layoffs. Major companies announcing such layoffs include Meta (formerly Facebook), Amazon, HP, Google, and...more
Facing a severe nursing shortage, one option for the United States is immigration. But even though the federal government has given registered nurses a special designation which streamlines the employment-based permanent...more
At a time when health care is critical, physician shortages and other challenges continue to beset the United States. Vacancies and shortages in health care staffing are causing glaring deficiencies in meeting patient needs...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Office of Public Affairs issued a press release two days ago, October 19, 2021, announcing a settlement with Facebook involving their recruiting practices to qualify foreign nationals...more
Business groups, universities, and technology consulting firms have filed suits seeking to enjoin the new rules on H-1B and PERM labor certification programs issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the...more
On Oct. 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor published a new regulation that significantly raises the required prevailing wage which must be paid to foreign workers in connection with H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 nonimmigrant visa...more
President Trump’s Buy American, Hire American Executive Order encouraged the United States Department of Labor (DOL) and the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to propose new rules and guidance that will...more
During the first week of October and just days into the new fiscal year, the Trump Administration announced two significant changes for employers who wish to sponsor foreign workers. The first of these announcements affects...more
PERM can be one of the most confusing and frustrating portions of the employment-based Green Card process for employers. PERM is driven by numerous regulatory requirements and the slightest mistake can doom a Green Card...more
On December 27, 2016, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) —the appellate body for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—announced a new standard for National Interest Waiver visa petitions in a precedent...more
A recent decision by the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) illustrates just how draconian decision-making with regard to labor certification filings can be at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and provides...more
On March 4, 2015, the Department of Labor (DOL) suffered a major blow as result of a ruling by a federal district court in the Northern District of Florida. Specifically, in Perez v. Perez, No. 3:14-cv-682 (N.D. Fla. Mar. 4,...more