There are several options for an individual to receive their green card. However, your desired employee may only be eligible for employer-sponsored immigration. If this is the case, you need to consider obtaining a labor certification from the Department of Labor. As with most immigration processes, this one can be difficult. Here at the Florida Immigration Law Counsel, we can help you. In addition to informing you about the process, we can walk you through each meticulous step.
The U.S. does not want foreign workers to take jobs away from U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. For that reason, there are strict laws regarding employer-sponsored immigration. If you want a skilled or unskilled foreign individual to work for you, a certified labor certification is required.
A Labor Certification is certified by the Department of Labor. By obtaining the certificate, you have proof that the foreign national will not be taking away jobs from U.S. workers. Additionally, you have evidence that their employment will not impact the wages or working conditions of U.S. workers.
The certification is proof that there are no U.S. workers that meet the minimum qualifications for this position. Before you apply for the certification, you should make sure the foreign national meets the requirements for the sponsored position. Here are some of the basic requirements:
In some cases, employers attempt to make their requirements tailored to their desired employees. However, the Department of Labor does not want this. The job requirements and the wage must be the same as it would be for any other U.S. employee.
As of 2005, all applications for a labor certification go through the Program Electronic Review Management system or PERM. The system requires employers to pay 100% of the prevailing wage. To file, you must do so electronically. Electronic applications typically receive decisions within 90 to 120 days. However, there are exceptions to that timeline.
The certification process is a rigorous one. First, the employer must obtain the wage certification from Washington DC through the filing of the Prevailing Wage Determination. Once the wage is determined for the position, the recruitment process can start.
The recruitment process consists of advertising the position from two to six different avenues, depending on whether the position is a professional one or not. A mandatory place of advertisement is with the state’s State Workforce Agency for a minimum of 30 consecutive days. Within 14 days of an employer receiving an application or resume, the employer must contact each applicant. The employer will need to interview any applicants who meet the requirements for the position. This process typically takes about 45 days.
Once the recruiting campaign is over you must wait 30 days for a “cooling off” period before electronic submission can occur. During this period the employer is preparing a detailed recruitment report of recruitment activities and communication with applications that have occurred. This report will be submitted to the Department of Labor if the application is selected for an Audit. So making sure that the report is done properly is KEY!
The Labor certification is filed electronically and the date that it is filed with the Department of Labor is called the Priority Date. This date is very important for determining when a foreign national is eligible to file for an immigrant benefit.
Once the Labor Certification is certified, the employer has 180 days to file the I-140, Immigrant Worker Petition with USCIS. Depending on whether the I-140 Priority Date is current will determine whether a foreign national can apply for the adjustment of status concurrently in the United States or apply for an immigrant visa through Consular Processing in their home country.
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Caring and compassionate, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is a Florida immigration attorney dedicated to producing the results her clients need. She has over 17 years of experience helping both corporate and individual clients with an emphasis in employment/investment cases and family adjustment cases.
As the Managing Attorney at Florida Immigration Law Counsel, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez and her team are capable of representing and helping individuals looking to attain a Family Visa, Work Visa, and Citizenship/Naturalization. Her experience successfully representing clients in front of the Department of Justice for cases involving Deportation/Removal Proceedings will lead to success in your case.
Her experience and expertise in immigration litigation has led to multiple Avvo awards and other accolades, including the Clients’ Choice for 2017 Immigration Attorney. Her clients also consistently post positive reviews on her Facebook page. Her experience has also allowed her to teach a new generation of lawyers as an adjunct professor of law at Nova Southeastern University, and she also regularly gives speeches on immigration matters.
Counselor Gonzalez is also experienced in helping corporate clients through the process of filing for Employment Visas, Labor Certifications, and Business and Investment Visas with the Department of Labor. She takes on the entire case from start to finish, simplifying the process for her clients and allowing them to focus on their business.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and Farsi – Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is dedicated to making her clients feel comfortable and assured in making her their go-to immigration attorney in Florida. Her goal is to ensure that those who want to live the American dream have a professional fighting for them and making the process as painless as possible.
Saman’s passion for immigration law stems from her personal life as the daughter of immigrants. Her parents were recipients of the student F1 visa in 1971. Her father came into this country with the goal to improve his life and the life of his children. He earned a PhD in Civil Engineering and Business, instilling in his daughter a strong work ethic that she carries to this day. Saman saw firsthand what it means to be an immigrant and achieve the American Dream.
Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez can personally understand the struggle of immigrants and the children of immigrants navigating through the bureaucratic process of immigration law. Because of this, she dedicates herself fully and provides her personal attention to every case. She prides herself on developing a strong relationship with each and every client, and she is not afraid of pushing the envelope and looking for answers where other attorneys have failed.
Saman Movassaghi makes it her goal to provide you with only the best representation for immigration matters because she believes it’s time for you to live the American dream!
