The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Occupational Information Network (O*NET), resulting in readjustments to the “Job Zones”—five articulated categories correlated with the levels of education, training,...more
As we move through Fall 2024, employers navigating the PERM labor certification process face a range of challenges. The process—essential for sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residency—has become more complex due to...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
A government shutdown was narrowly avoided on September 30, 2023 after Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the government for an additional 45 days. However, another shutdown is possible if Congress does not pass...more
If Congress does not pass appropriations legislation or a stopgap spending bill by September 30, 2023, the federal government will experience a shutdown on October 1, 2023. A federal government shutdown will disrupt certain...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: If Congress cannot resolve funding issues by 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2023, resulting in a federal government shutdown, it will have a ripple effect on employers, both large and small, with an impact...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
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
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has issued guidance regarding the recent trend of permanent labor certification (PERM) application denials based on how employers completed section...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has announced plans to revise the permanent labor certification (PERM) process in an effort to streamline the program, improve the employer...more
AILA recently reached out to the DOL's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) with questions about long PERM prevailing wage determination and PERM application filing processing times. (AILA Doc. No. 22101212) - ...more
According to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 34 percent of private-sector employers expanded remote-work options for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and about 60 percent of those...more
Federal agencies are providing leniency in light of the significant impact of Hurricane Ida on government operations, corporations, and those residing in the United States. Below we provide a summary of the flexibility that...more
Trump Administration Amends Presidential Proclamation That Temporarily Suspends New H-1B, H2B, J-1, and L-1 Visa and Travel from Abroad - On June 29, 2020, the Trump administration issued an amendment to Section 3(a)(ii)...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (“OFLC”) issued Frequently Asked Questions in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, providing guidance and...more
After a brief federal government shutdown over the weekend, the Senate and the House voted on January 22, 2018, on a temporary spending bill that will fund the government until February 8, 2018. The President signed the bill...more
As the U.S. Government shutdown begins, many are left wondering about how such a shutdown may impact immigration-related agencies. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is impacted the most. Typically, if a U.S. government...more
Most operations are either fee-based or considered “essential” and are therefore expected to proceed normally. Barring passage of an eleventh-hour spending bill, the current continuing resolution will expire on January 20...more
On June 27, 2016, in National Federation of Independent Business et al. v. Perez, et al., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Lubbock Division) granted Plaintiffs’ Motion for a Preliminary ...more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) electronic permanent labor certification system (PERM) as we know it has been in existence for the past 10 years. This year, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is expected to...more
Congress is currently at a budget standoff that threatens to shut down the federal government for the second time in two years, effective September 30, 2015 at midnight, the start of the new fiscal year. As with the last...more
A printing problem usually can be fixed in minutes by swapping out a toner cartridge or adding some paper, or it could take a little longer to clear a complex paper jam. Right? Not at the U.S. Department of State! Apparently...more
On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that employers with time-sensitive recruitment or prevailing wage determinations that did not timely submit PERM...more
The government officially reopened on October 17, 2013 after a shutdown that started on October 1. The shutdown had substantial immigration consequences for employers (which were explained in detail here and here). At least...more