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01-15-2009, 06:40 AM
Are we screwed by DOL ? -Changing Environment of PERM Labor Certification Application
From immigratgion-law.com Mathew Oh Blog link--->>>
01/15/2009: Changing Environment of PERM Labor Certification Applications
I reported quite earlier and repeatedly the changes in the PERM application process, most noticeably since August 2007. The change was in part triggered by the political pressures relating the various release of fraud investigation reports involving foreign labor certifications. Accordingly, the DOL adopted "integrity" as the focus and goal for the PERM program beginning from FY 2008. As part of the move, it has been reengineering the PERM and termporary labor certification programs including revision of the filing forms (ETA 9089 and ETA 9035). The rule making process for such changes has lately been completed and as a preparatory step to launch the reengineered foreign labor certification program, they have just announced that they are scheduling briefing sessions in the first part of February 2009 for the public and stakeholders to introduce the new program. Initial information indicated that the new program was going to be launched in the late Spring, but this briefing schedules more or less imply that the change in PERM application may come somewhat sonner than the "late" Spring. The reengineered ETA 9089 incorporates many features that are intended and targeted to achieve integrity of the labor certification process. For the reasons, the DOL performance report lowered the target processing time from less than two months in earlier days to six months. Surprisingly, though, even before they launched the new PERM program, the processing times have already reached six months or longer, partly owing to the lawsuit settlement and case loads with earlier priority dates under the settlement turned into the regular non-audit processing queue. Reportedly, this and other factors have caused recent priority date cases caught and frozen in the processing queue. Until recently, no approval of cases with priority dates later than May 2008 has been reported. However, people start seeing reports during the last few days that June 2008 cases have been adjudicated and certified, implying that the impact of the aftermath of the lawsuit settlement started diminishing. However, the immigrant community may not see any dramatic changes in the processing times in the future because of the upcoming launch of the reengineered PERM program.
Another environment, other than program focus on "integrity," that will cause continuous and difficult labor certification process is the economic recess producing massive unemployment. Since availability of certification of PERM applications should be footed on "unavailability" of qualified and "available" U.S. workers, it appears that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification is launching mechanisms to achieve "integrity" of labor certification under the ever increasing unemployment rate since rising unemployment implies that more and more qualified U.S. workers may be available in the labor markets in various areas and regions. One mechanism which they have already announced is to conduct research of unemployment rate in the job site locations and its surrounding areas by reaching commercial and noncommercial websites before they adjudicate the applications. Related to this mechanism, it appears that the adjudicators may mobilize "supervised recruitment" mechanism to require the employer's rerecruitment activities under the supervision of the OFLC when they consider or suspect the employers' claims of unavailability of U.S. workers are considered dubious considering various circumstances, including the changing labor market conditionss and high unemployment situation in the areas. Potential use of the second mechanism may be implied from the FAQs on Supervised Recruitment which the office has just released on its website. The announcement states that clean supervised recruitment cases may be completed in about six months, but it is obvious that most of these cases may take much and much longer than six months. Another fall-out of potential focus on supervised recruitment mechanism is the accompanying policy of pogtential increased debarment of employers and lawyers who are suspected to file PERM applications with misrepresentations. Accordingly, the byproduct of exercise of the supervised recruitment will be more likely increase in the number of debarment of employers and their representatives.
Under the changing environment, what should the employers do? (1) They should quickly familiarize themselves with the new PERM program. Since the new form requires different standards and procedures, their ongoing receruitment may produce a result that does not conform with the new program. Participation in the upcoming breafing sessions in San Diego and Washington D.C metropolitan area in the first week of February may be one way to achieve it. (2) Employers and representatives may initiate their own research on the changing labor market situation in the area where the application is filed and may be prepared for potential supervised recruitment decisions of the agency, should they find the unemployment rate is exceedingly high or the employers themselves have the record of lay-off of their own employees. All of these may have to be done before they develop recruitment plans and strategies. (3) Employers should review and comply, as closely as possible, with the O*Net job zones and acceptable level of education, experience, and special requirements under the O'Net system. ghe more the employer deviates in requirement from the job zone standards, the more they may face challenges including audits and even supervised recruitment. Considering the prediction of further increase of unemployment rate and deterioration of nation's economy this year, the foregoing may be a challenging task for the employers
From immigratgion-law.com Mathew Oh Blog link--->>>
01/15/2009: Changing Environment of PERM Labor Certification Applications
I reported quite earlier and repeatedly the changes in the PERM application process, most noticeably since August 2007. The change was in part triggered by the political pressures relating the various release of fraud investigation reports involving foreign labor certifications. Accordingly, the DOL adopted "integrity" as the focus and goal for the PERM program beginning from FY 2008. As part of the move, it has been reengineering the PERM and termporary labor certification programs including revision of the filing forms (ETA 9089 and ETA 9035). The rule making process for such changes has lately been completed and as a preparatory step to launch the reengineered foreign labor certification program, they have just announced that they are scheduling briefing sessions in the first part of February 2009 for the public and stakeholders to introduce the new program. Initial information indicated that the new program was going to be launched in the late Spring, but this briefing schedules more or less imply that the change in PERM application may come somewhat sonner than the "late" Spring. The reengineered ETA 9089 incorporates many features that are intended and targeted to achieve integrity of the labor certification process. For the reasons, the DOL performance report lowered the target processing time from less than two months in earlier days to six months. Surprisingly, though, even before they launched the new PERM program, the processing times have already reached six months or longer, partly owing to the lawsuit settlement and case loads with earlier priority dates under the settlement turned into the regular non-audit processing queue. Reportedly, this and other factors have caused recent priority date cases caught and frozen in the processing queue. Until recently, no approval of cases with priority dates later than May 2008 has been reported. However, people start seeing reports during the last few days that June 2008 cases have been adjudicated and certified, implying that the impact of the aftermath of the lawsuit settlement started diminishing. However, the immigrant community may not see any dramatic changes in the processing times in the future because of the upcoming launch of the reengineered PERM program.
Another environment, other than program focus on "integrity," that will cause continuous and difficult labor certification process is the economic recess producing massive unemployment. Since availability of certification of PERM applications should be footed on "unavailability" of qualified and "available" U.S. workers, it appears that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification is launching mechanisms to achieve "integrity" of labor certification under the ever increasing unemployment rate since rising unemployment implies that more and more qualified U.S. workers may be available in the labor markets in various areas and regions. One mechanism which they have already announced is to conduct research of unemployment rate in the job site locations and its surrounding areas by reaching commercial and noncommercial websites before they adjudicate the applications. Related to this mechanism, it appears that the adjudicators may mobilize "supervised recruitment" mechanism to require the employer's rerecruitment activities under the supervision of the OFLC when they consider or suspect the employers' claims of unavailability of U.S. workers are considered dubious considering various circumstances, including the changing labor market conditionss and high unemployment situation in the areas. Potential use of the second mechanism may be implied from the FAQs on Supervised Recruitment which the office has just released on its website. The announcement states that clean supervised recruitment cases may be completed in about six months, but it is obvious that most of these cases may take much and much longer than six months. Another fall-out of potential focus on supervised recruitment mechanism is the accompanying policy of pogtential increased debarment of employers and lawyers who are suspected to file PERM applications with misrepresentations. Accordingly, the byproduct of exercise of the supervised recruitment will be more likely increase in the number of debarment of employers and their representatives.
Under the changing environment, what should the employers do? (1) They should quickly familiarize themselves with the new PERM program. Since the new form requires different standards and procedures, their ongoing receruitment may produce a result that does not conform with the new program. Participation in the upcoming breafing sessions in San Diego and Washington D.C metropolitan area in the first week of February may be one way to achieve it. (2) Employers and representatives may initiate their own research on the changing labor market situation in the area where the application is filed and may be prepared for potential supervised recruitment decisions of the agency, should they find the unemployment rate is exceedingly high or the employers themselves have the record of lay-off of their own employees. All of these may have to be done before they develop recruitment plans and strategies. (3) Employers should review and comply, as closely as possible, with the O*Net job zones and acceptable level of education, experience, and special requirements under the O'Net system. ghe more the employer deviates in requirement from the job zone standards, the more they may face challenges including audits and even supervised recruitment. Considering the prediction of further increase of unemployment rate and deterioration of nation's economy this year, the foregoing may be a challenging task for the employers