PERM

According to the Labor Department:

If the employer disagrees with the skill level assigned to its job opportunity, or if the SWA informs the employer its survey is not acceptable, or if there are other legitimate bases for such a review, the employer is afforded one opportunity to provide supplemental information to the SWA. Additionally, the employer may choose to file a new request for a wage determination or request review by the Certifying Officer.

According to the Labor Department:

What additional documentation may the employer provide to the Certifying Officer when requesting a review of the prevailing wage?

The single opportunity to submit supplemental information to the State Workforce Agency represents the employer's only opportunity beyond the initial filing to include materials in the record that will be before the Certifying Officer in the event of an employer request for review under § 656.41. The appeal stage of the process is not intended to serve as an avenue for the employer to submit new materials relating to a prevailing wage determination.

Is it true that the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination is not acceptable as a means of obtaining a labor certification for professional nurses under Schedule A?

According to the Labor Department:

Yes, the passage of the examination alone is not acceptable; the alien is required to have a CGFNS Certificate. A CGFNS Certificate documents that, in addition to having passed the nursing skills examination, the alien has demonstrated English language proficiency and CGFNS has made a favorable evaluation of the individual's nursing credentials.

How can the employer ensure that no unauthorized use of the employer's personal identification number (PIN) and/or usernames and passwords exists?

According to the Labor Department:

The employer is able to view all applications filed under the employer's account, to include all applications filed under the employer's sub-accounts, and we recommend employers implement a mechanism by which to identify any unauthorized use of the employer's PIN and/or usernames and passwords. We also recommend employers require those persons to whom sub-accounts have been assigned to carefully monitor the accounts for unauthorized activity. If the employer uncovers unauthorized use of the PIN and/or usernames and passwords, the employer must immediately contact the Department of Labor at PLC.HELP@DOL.gov.

NOTE: The employer is advised to set up a sub-account for the attorney or agent. Thereafter, the attorney or agent, using the sub-account's username and password, will be able to access the sub-account and be able to do what is required and/or needed to file labor certification applications on behalf of the employer, depending on the level of access granted by the employer. In filing applications for an employer, the attorney or agent must use the employer's PIN, which is provided to the attorney or agent upon creation of the sub-account along with the sub-account's own username and password. The employer is cautioned that ultimate responsibility for the representations of its attorney and/or agent rests with the employer.

Must the employer request a prevailing wage from a State Workforce Agency (SWA) if a Collective Bargaining Agreement exists or the employer is choosing to use a Davis-Bacon Act or McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act wage?

According to the Labor Department:

Yes, the employer must always request a prevailing wage from the SWA having jurisdiction over the proposed area of intended employment. The SWA is responsible for evaluating whether the wage source chosen by the employer is applicable and/or acceptable.

According to the Labor Department:

Unless the job opportunity for which certification is sought is covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement or professional sports league's rules or regulations, the employer may request the State Workforce Agency use an employer-provided survey, or Davis-Bacon Act or McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act wage rate, if appropriate.

According to the Labor Department:

The Department of Homeland Security and a Consul of the Department of State have the authority to invalidate an issued labor certification if a determination is made, either in accordance with the agencies' procedures or by a court, that fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact involving the labor certification application exists.

According to the Labor Department:

In order to file permanent labor certification applications on-line, the employer must have a Permanent Online System account, username, password, and PIN. The account allows for the preparation and management of applications on-line, the username and password are necessary to access the account, and the PIN is required to submit applications on-line.

Permanent Online System account

An account is created after an employer has submitted registration information on-line at www.plc.doleta.gov and the employer information is verified by DOL. Account creation is a means by which to control filing authorization and to provide account holders filing management capabilities. An employer must be registered and be in possession of a PIN in order to file applications on-line. Upon verification of the employer's information, a password and confirmation of the account holder's username are sent to the employer in one email and, for security reasons, the PIN in another. It must be noted that upon accessing the account for the first time, the system requires the DOL password be changed to a new password. It is critical that the employer be aware of and know the new password, as only an individual in possession of the account's valid username and password is able to access the account.

Sub-account

The holder of a Permanent Online System account is able to create multiple sub-accounts with individual usernames and passwords for persons authorized by the employer to file applications in its name, to include attorneys and agents. It is a means by which to provide the employer the security of ensuring only persons authorized by the employer are filing on the employer's behalf. In creating a sub-account, the employer is able to designate whether the sub-account holder is the employer's employee, the employer's agent or the employer's lawyer. The employer is also able to designate the level of security access available to the sub-account holder.

NOTE: While the employer is permitted the opportunity to designate persons to represent the employer in the application filing process, the employer must recognize that ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of all representations made by such designated persons rests with the employer. Therefore, the employer is encouraged to establish measures designed to ensure only legitimate dissemination and use of account information.

The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) ruled (on or about December 7, 2006) that experience gained by the employee, beneficiary, with a prior employer may be disqualified if the sponsoring employer and the prior employer have a close relationship.  The general rule is that experience gained with the sponsoring employer can not be considered, absent special circumstances, as experience to qualify the beneficiary for the job offered in the labor certification.  In this ruling, BALCA has effectively held that experience with a prior employer will likewise be disqualified if the sponsoring employer has a close relationship with the prior employer.  In Matter of Harvest Office Services, Inc., 2005-INA-111 (12/7/06),

According to the Labor Department:

For purposes of § 656.17(i)(3), the provision on actual minimum requirements, the term "domestic" is being used as an alternative for "United States."

Why must the advertisement medium be different in order for advertisements to be counted as additional steps? For instance why is it not permissible to count advertisements on two separate web sites as two steps or to place a third advertisement in the same newspaper of general circulation rather than using a local or ethnic publication and have it count as an additional step?

According to the Labor Department:

As with all the recruitment requirements, the purpose of requiring the employer to use three additional recruitment steps is to ensure that the greatest number of able, willing, qualified, and available U.S. workers are apprised of the job opportunity. It should be noted that each of the steps may target slightly different applicant populations. Using at least three of the additional steps normally used by businesses to recruit workers is a means of apprising a greater number of U.S. applicants of the job opportunity and more adequately substantiates an employer's claim there are no available U.S. workers for the job offer.

Can business necessity be used to justify requirements which exceed the occupation's Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) and/or are not normal to the occupation involved in the employer's application?

According to the Labor Department:

Yes, business necessity is a means to justify requirements which are not normal to the occupation and/or exceed the SVP. While the job opportunity's requirements, as a rule, must be those normally required for the occupation and must not exceed the SVP level assigned to the occupation as shown in the O*Net Job Zones, business necessity may be used to justify requirements not normal to the occupation and/or which exceed the SVP.

NOTE: Business necessity can be established by the employer demonstrating that the job duties and requirements bear a reasonable relationship to the occupation in the context of the employer’s business and are essential to perform the job in a reasonable manner.

The Department of Labor published a set of FAQs regarding the RIR Conversion Opportunity, i.e., the "hold harmless" or "safe harbor" recruitment period for converting traditional labor certification cases to Reduction in Recruitment. Note that in order to take advantage of this opportunity: "No later than January 20, 2007, the applicant or its designated attorney [must] send an e-mail to the appropriate BEC using the language specified (see question 9 below) indicating its intent to convert a TR case to RIR status." AND: "The applicant or its designated representative sends the RIR conversion package to the appropriate BEC in hard copy, by regular mail, certified mail, or mail courier, with the subject “RIR Conversion Package – [case number]” no later than April 1st, 2007. If no package is postmarked for receipt by this date, the case will be closed. These applications do not revert to the TR queue and the decision to close is not subject to appeal." See below for the FAQs.

How does an employer determine whether to advertise under the recruitment requirements for professional occupations or nonprofessional occupations?

According to the Labor Department:

The employer must recruit under the standards for professional occupations set forth in § 656.17(e)(1) if the occupation involved is on the list of occupations, published in Appendix A to the preamble of the final PERM regulation, for which a bachelor's or higher degree is a customary requirement. For all other occupations not normally requiring a bachelor's or higher degree, employers can simply recruit under the requirements for nonprofessional occupations at § 656.17(e)(2). Although the occupation involved in a labor certification application may be a nonprofessional occupation, the regulations do not prohibit employers from conducting more recruitment than is specified for such occupations. Therefore, if the employer is uncertain whether an occupation is considered professional or not, the employer is advised to conduct recruitment for a professional occupation.

According to the Labor Department:

Employers may have agents and/or attorneys represent them, however, the employer is required to sign in Section N of the Application for Permanent Employment Certification, ETA Form 9089, that the employer has designated the agent or attorney identified in Section E to represent it, and by virtue of its signature, is taking full responsibility for the accuracy of any representations made by the attorney or agent. In signing, the employer acknowledges that to knowingly furnish false information in the preparation of the application form and any supplement thereto or to aid, abet, or counsel another to do so is a federal offense punishable by a fine or imprisonment up to five years or both under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 and 1001. Other penalties apply as well to fraud or misuse of ETA immigration documents and to perjury with respect to such documents under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1546 and 1621.

NOTE: An attorney or agent is not permitted to register to use the Permanent On-line System for the employer. Only an employee or owner of the employer entity may register. Nor is an attorney or agent of either the alien or the employer permitted to participate in interviewing or considering U.S. workers for the job offered the alien. The agent or attorney may only participate if the agent or attorney is the employer’s representative, i.e., the person who normally interviews or considers, on behalf of the employer, applicants for job opportunities such as that offered the alien, but which do not involve labor certifications.

If an application for a Schedule A occupation is denied is the employer permitted to file for a labor certification for a physical therapist or professional nurse under the basic process, § 656.17?

According to the Labor Department:

No, labor certifications for professional nurses and for physical therapists will not be considered under § 656.17.

According to the Labor Department:

No, only college and university teachers of exceptional ability in the sciences or arts who have been practicing their science or art during the year prior to application and who intend to practice the same science or art in the United States fall under Schedule A, Group II, Sciences or Arts.

According to the Labor Department:

Yes, an advertisement for multiple positions may be used as long as all provisions in § 656.17(f), advertising requirements, have been met.

NOTE: While employers have the option to place broadly written advertisements with few details regarding job duties and requirements, employers must prepare a recruitment report that addresses all minimally qualified applicants for the job opportunity. If an employer places a generic advertisement, the employer may receive a large volume of applicants, all of whom must be addressed in the recruitment report. Employers placing general advertisements may wish to include a job identification code or other information to assist the employer in tracking applicants to the job opportunity.

How do you know if the job description contains requirements beyond those considered normal for the occupation? Does informing the State Workforce Agency (SWA) on a prevailing wage determination request that the job contains requirements not normal to the occupation meet an employer's obligation to inform the Department of Labor of these requirements?

According to the Labor Department:

The job summary specific to the SOC/O*NET code and Occupation Title provided by the SWA on the prevailing wage determination is considered to identify the requirements normal to that occupation. Any requirements in addition to those listed in the summary will be considered not normal for the occupation and the employer should be prepared to provide proof of business necessity if requested by the Certifying Officer. These summary reports can be accessed at http://online.onetcenter.org. Even if the employer has informed the SWA of these requirements in a prevailing wage determination request, the employer must still inform the Department of Labor by correctly attesting on the Application for Permanent Employment Certification, ETA Form 9089/Questions H-12 or H-13. Additionally, if the employer has not accurately attested on ETA Form 9089 that there are requirements not normal to the occupation, the application will be denied whether proof of business necessity is available or not.

According to the Labor Department:

The employer has the option of filing an application electronically (using web-based forms and instructions) or by mail. However, the Department of Labor recommends that employers file electronically. Not only is electronic filing, by its nature, faster, but it will also ensure the employer has provided all required information, as an electronic application can not be submitted if the required fields are not completed.

NOTE: Employers will not be permitted to submit applications by facsimile.

An application for a Schedule A occupation is filed with the appropriate Department of Homeland Security office and not with a Department of Labor National Processing Center.