The United States Department of Labor maintains a number of useful immigration resources at its web site at http://www.dol.gov. The following are some of the highlights:
- America’s Job Bank – this online database is a central repository of job listings at the various state employment security agencies. Its relevant in labor certification cases since the state listing of the job opening is included here. If you get resumes for your labor certification listing even before your advertisement runs, chances are it comes from here.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics – this section of the site contains a number of databases that provide labor market information. Unfortunately, prevailing wage data is not available here (readers who are aware of such resources on the Internet are encouraged to let us know). The useful Occupational Outlook Handbook is located on this section of the site, though its more useful counterpart – the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, is not available at the site.
- Employment and Training Administration – The ETA site contains numerous useful resourcs. Click on the Contact button and you’ll get access to directories containing information on labor certification unit chiefs and state labor certification officials. The federal labor certification employees actually have e-mail addresses listed. This section also features links to the complete text of statutes, regulations, directives and other documentations relating to labor certifications as well as H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and D-1 visas.
The site is relatively easy to navigate and has search components built in to various points. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to do status checks on cases from the site.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.