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DOL/ETA | RIN: 1205-AC15 | Publication ID: Fall 2024 |
Title: Employer-Provided Survey Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program | |
Abstract:
The Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), prior to the approval of H-2B visa petitions, to consult with the Department of Labor (Department). DHS' regulation at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(6) requires that employers must first apply for a temporary labor certification from the Department. Specifically, the Department must certify that there are not sufficient U.S. workers able, available, willing, and qualified to perform the temporary services or labor, and that the employment of the H-2B workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. To ensure that there is no adverse effect, DOL requires employers to pay the prevailing wage to H-2B workers. Employer-provided surveys may serve as a prevailing wage source under the H-2B regulations. On December 23, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that the employer-provided survey provision under the Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program (2015 Wage Rule) in 20 CFR part 655 subpart A did not satisfy the notice and comment requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Williams, et al. v. Walsh, et al. (Williams), 648 F. Supp. 3d 70 (D.D.C. 2022). The court remanded the rule without vacatur and ordered "action with haste" for further consideration consistent with the court’s opinion. The Department plans to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on the employer-provided survey provision of the 2015 Wage Rule to cure the procedural defect of the 2015 Wage Rule, pursuant to the decision in Williams. |
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Agency: Department of Labor(DOL) | Priority: Other Significant |
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda | Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Proposed Rule Stage |
Major: No | Unfunded Mandates: No |
CFR Citation: 8 CFR 212.4(h)(6) 20 CFR 655, subpart A (To search for a specific CFR, visit the Code of Federal Regulations.) | |
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) 8 U.S.C. 1103(a)(6) 8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(1) Pub. L. 118-47, Division D, Title I, sec. 110 (3/23/24) |
Legal Deadline:
None |
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Timetable:
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: YES | Government Levels Affected: State |
Small Entities Affected: Businesses | Federalism: No |
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No | |
RIN Data Printed in the FR: Yes | |
Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak Administrator Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Office of Foreign Labor Certification; Room N-5311, FP Building, Washington, DC 20210 Phone:202 693-8200 Email: pasternak.brian@dol.gov |