20 C.F.R. § 655.201 Temporary labor certification applications.
Title 20 - Employees' Benefits
(a) (1) An employer who anticipates a labor shortage of workers for agricultural or logging employment may request a temporary labor certification for temporary foreign workers by filing, or by having an agent file, in duplicate, a temporary labor certification application, signed by the employer, with a SWA in the area of intended employment. (2) If the temporary labor certification application is filed by an agent, however, the agent may sign the application if the application is accompanied by a letter from each employer the agent represents, signed by the employer, which authorizes the agent to act on the employer's behalf and which states that the employer assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of the application, for all representations made by the agent on the employer's behalf, and for the fulfillment of all legal requirements arising under this subpart. (3) If an association of employers files the application, the association shall identify and submit documents to verify whether, in accordance with the definitions at §655.200, it is: (i) The employer, (ii) a joint employer with its member employers, or (iii) the agent of its employer members. (b) Every temporary labor certification application shall include: (1) A copy of the job offer which will be used by the employer (or each employer) for the recruitment of both U.S. and foreign workers. The job offer for each employer shall state the number of workers needed by the employer, and shall be signed by the employer. The job offer shall comply with the requirements of §§655.202 and 653.108 of this chapter; (2) The assurances required by §655.203; and (3) The specific estimated date of need of workers. (c) The entire temporary labor certification application shall be filed with the SWA in duplicate and in sufficient time to allow the State agency to attempt to recruit U.S. workers locally and through the Employment Service intrastate and interstate clearance system for 60 calendar days prior to the estimated date of need. Section 655.206 requires the OFLC Administrator to grant or deny the temporary labor certification application by the end of the 60 calendar days, or 20 days from the estimated date of need, whichever is later. That section also requires the OFLC Administrator to offer employers an expedited administrative-judicial review in cases of denials of the temporary labor certification applications. Following an administrative-judicial review, the employer has a right to contest any denial before the DHS pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(h)(3)(i). Finally, employers need time, after the temporary labor certification determination, to complete the process for bringing foreign workers into the United States, or to bring an appeal of a denial of an application for the labor certification. Therefore, employers should file their temporary labor certification applications at least 80 days before the estimated date of need specified in the application. (d) Applications may be amended at any time prior to OFLC Administrator determination to increase the number of workers requested in the original application for labor certification by not more than 15 percent without requiring an additional recruitment period for U.S. workers. Requests for increases beyond 15 percent may be approved only when it is determined that, based on past experience, the need for additional workers could not be foreseen and that a critical need for the workers would exist prior to the expiration of an additional recruitment period. (e) If a temporary labor certification application, or any part thereof, does not satisfy the time requirements specified in paragraph (c) of this section, and if the exception in paragraph (d) of this section does not apply, the SWA shall immediately send both copies directly to the appropriate OFLC Administrator. The OFLC Administrator may then advise the employer and the DHS in writing that the temporary labor certification cannot be granted because, pursuant to the regulations at paragraph (c) of this section, there is not sufficient time to test the availability of U.S. workers. The notice of denial to the employer shall inform the employer of the right to administrative-judicial review and to ultimately petition DHS for the admission of the aliens. In emergency situations, however, the OFLC Administrator may waive the time period specified in this section on behalf of employers who have not made use of temporary alien workers for the prior year's harvest or for other good and substantial cause, provided the OFLC Administrator has sufficient labor market information to make the labor certification determinations required by 8 CFR 214.2(h)(3)(i). [43 FR 10313, Mar. 10, 1978, as amended at 49 FR 18295, Apr. 30, 1984; 71 FR 35521, June 21, 2006]
Title 20: Employees' Benefits
PART 655—TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT OF ALIENS IN THE UNITED STATES
Subpart C—Labor Certification Process for Logging Employment and Non-H–2A Agricultural Employment
§ 655.201 Temporary labor certification applications.
