Client Payment Portal

DOL announces new rule that will raise prevailing wage levels in July

Jan 15, 2021 | Immigration Updates, Nonimmigrant Visas, Permanent Immigration Visas

Briefing: The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a new rule that will raise prevailing wages at all levels in a phased period beginning July 2021. The rule would take full effect for some employees a year later, and full implementation for visa holders extending their statuses to wait for an available green card would be delayed until July 2024. Impacted foreign nationals would include H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa holders, as well as future beneficiaries of PERM labor certifications.  As with DOL’s prior attempt to raise prevailing wages without an opportunity for notice and comment, we expect there will be litigation seeking to enjoin this rule’s implementation.

Source:

Related Posts:

USCIS Announces Second H-1B Lottery for FY2024

As we previously predicted, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has officially announced that it will conduct a second lottery of the H-1B cap registrations submitted in March 2023 for the FY2024 H-1B cap. Answers to common questions are addressed below. Do employers have to submit new H-1B cap registrations? No. Employers do not need to do anything at this time. USCIS is not accepting new registrations; they will only be conducting the lottery based on registrations that were submitted but not selected in March 2023. If the registration is selected in this lottery, the employer may proceed with the H-1B petition process to file with USCIS. Do individuals need to do anything? No, they do not need to do anything at this time. If the registration is selected in this lottery, the employer may proceed with the H-1B petition process to file with USCIS. Why is USCIS conducting a second lottery? USCIS did not receive sufficient H-1B cap petitions during the initial 90-day filing period (April 1 to June 30) to meet the quota for both the “Bachelor’s” cap and the “Master’s” cap for FY2024. What’s next? USCIS will conduct the lottery shortly. Employers and their representatives will receive USCIS […]

Read More

2025 US Diversity Visa Lottery to Open Next Week

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DIVP) is a government lottery program that offers a straightforward path to obtaining US Permanent Residence (green card). This program allocates 50,000 visas annually to applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States and specific education qualifications. The registration period for the FY2025 U.S. diversity visa (DV-2025) program opens on Monday, October 4, 2023, and closes on November 7, 2023. Who Can Apply for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program? To be eligible for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, you, your spouse, or your parent must have been born in a country that sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years. DOS publishes a full list of the eligible countries on its website. For the 2025 program, the following countries are not eligible to apply for DIVP due to high rates of immigration to the United States: In addition to the nationality requirements,  applicants must possess at least a high school diploma or its equivalent; or two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. The Department of State uses the Department of Labor’s O*Net Online system […]

Read More