US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL) RELEASES NEW LABOR CONDITION APPLICATION (LCA)

Effective Monday, November 19, 2018, the DOL released a new LCA (Form ETA-9035) which must be used on all immigration filings going forward. A certified LCA must be included in immigration filings for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 status.  The DOL generally certifies an LCA approximately 7-10 days after submission of the LCA to the DOL.    

Certified and date-valid LCAs in the old format can still be used in immigration filings, provided the LCAs have unused slots in the appropriate filing category, e.g. new employment, continuation of employment without change, etc. 

For all immigration filings, the new LCA requires the legal business name of the end-client(s) as well as the street address of the worksite(s) where the employee will physically work.

For H-1B masters cap petitions, the new LCA requires:

o   The name of the institution that awarded the employee’s master’s degree;

o   The field of study in which the employee’s master’s degree was awarded;

o   The date on which the employee’s master’s degree was awarded; and

o   Documentation substantiating the employee’s master’s degree information.

MU’s employer checklists for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 filings have been updated to request this information from employers at case initiation.