News Releases November 14, 2012 Boston, MA
Several newspapers (Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times, etc.) place their online ads on Monster.com. When the SR instructions direct the placement of an ad on these newspaper websites AND on Monster.com, this means placement of the same listing twice on the same website, which is redundant. Has DOL indicated that a single advertisement on Monster.com is sufficient when the required newspaper uses Monster.com to place job advertisements online?
DOL has suggested e-mailing the SR e-mail address for clarification on particular recruitment instructions. Note, however, that the employer should still follow the recruitment instructions. The focus is whether a full labor market test was conducted that provides U.S. workers with opportunity to apply for the position. DOL is not intentionally seeking duplicate ads.
DOL has indicated that it would make sense to consolidate recruitment for Supervised Recruitment (SR) cases that are identical. Has DOL made any progress on publishing a standard that can be followed to consolidate recruitment for SR?
DOL has indicated that it is generally not opposed to consolidation of recruitment efforts in appropriate cases, and a request can be made to the SR processing e-mail box for consolidation. Even where cases are consolidated for recruitment, however, DOL will still require individual recruitment reports for each SR application.
The processing of supervised recruitment cases is still extremely slow. Cases filed directly into supervised recruitment in January and February 2012 have still not received the initial communication from DOL or any recruitment instructions. Based on reports, it appears that DOL is not following FIFO (first in, first out)on SR cases, as there are SR cases with priority dates ranging from May 2011 to October 2011, and draft ads/ad corrections have been submitted as early as February 2012 and as late as July 2012. Has DOL provided details on SR processing dates and times?
DOL indicates that it expects to see a significant increase in the speed of processing of SR cases as well as cases under audit. Staff members who normally work on SR cases were temporarily reassigned to identify and process “straggler” cases. That project has been completed as of October 1, 2012, and DOL has moved those staff members back to their normal work. This should result in much faster processing of both SR and audit cases.
Who is considered a qualified U.S. worker for purposes of a Labor Certification?
For purposes of a Labor Certification, a qualified U.S. worker is defined as a U.S. citizen, a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card holder), or other specially authorized alien (such as an asylee or refugee) who satisfies the minimum job requirements and is willing to take the position under the conditions and terms described in the Labor Certification application.
Should I file my I-140 petition through regular processing or premium processing?
Currently USCIS is accepting premium processing for certain I-140 categories. In addition to the regular filing fee, there is an additional $1,225.00 filing fee to upgrade to premium processing. If an I-140 is filed with premium processing, USCIS will issue a determination or an RFE within 15 calendar days.
Typically, these are some of the reasons when an I-140 should be filed through premium processing:
1) When an I-140 approval is needed to extend H-1 beyond the 6 years. Please see Rajiv’s blog entry for more information:
Can an I-485 (Adjustment of Status) application be filed while the applicant is outside the United States?
No. It is required that the applicant be on U.S. soil when the application is submitted. For those applying from outside the United States, Consular Processing would be in order.
With the new guidance for L visas to be issued for the maximum reciprocity period, Blanket L visas have been issued for five years when an I-129S is certified for less time. How will beneficiaries be able to get a new I-129S approved by a consular officer if a visa application will not be required?
Upon expiration of the initial validity of the approved I-129S, a beneficiary may apply for an extension of his or her status with USCIS. If approved, the alien can continue to utilize his and her still valid visas for travel to the U.S. The approved extension of status application, not the initial I-129S, is proof to CBP of his or her eligibility for admission.
Let’s say that a J-2 visa holder enters the United States as a derivative of a J-1 principal who is subject to the two-year home residency requirement of INA 212(e). Without leaving the United States, she later changes status from J-2 to J-1. The J-1 program in which she participates as the principal is also subject to INA 212(e). Thus, the person is independently subject to INA 212(e) based on two separate programs – her husband’s (as a J-2 derivative) and her own (as a J-1 principal). Please confirm that this person may file a single DS-3035 form that includes all DS-2019s from both programs and receive a single waiver covering both programs.
In this situation, the applicant’s J-1 waiver does not cover her period in J-2 status. 9 FAM 41.62 states that if an alien is subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement, the spouse and child of that alien are also subject to that requirement. Thus, the individual you have described would need a separate waiver to cover the time that she spent in J-2 status that subjected her to the two-year home residency requirement.Two separate DS-3035 applications would therefore be required in this circumstance.
What examples has the Department of State (DOS) provided of program and policy considerations other than program funding that might lead to an unfavorable J-1 waiver recommendation, despite a favorable recommendation from USCIS?
The exceptional hardship waiver is a three-step process. The applicant must first submit an I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement, directly to USCIS. If USCIS determines that there is a possibility that the applicant’s U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouse or child may experience hardship if the applicant returns to the home country to fulfill the two-year home residence requirement, USCIS forwards the application to the State Department for a waiver recommendation.