Recently, the Department of Labor in the United States released a statement outlining their future plans for updating the requirements for permanent labor certification (PERM). The changes in policy are designed to better help employees and make the process of applying for certification much easier.
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Green Card Application Process
While it’s possible to obtain a green card through your employer, the process is tough to navigate independently. The three steps required to obtain a green card are to first is Permanent Labor Certification.. After the application is processed, which takes about 6 months, applicants are put into a minimum of a 30 day “holding” time, in which paperwork is finalized. Finally, employers and employees sign the necessary documentation and the PERM certification is issued.
First Ever Update to PERM Certifications
Although the program has been around for nearly a decade, the Department of Labor has never formally reviewed the PERM certification process. The Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Labor Department, released a statement on November 20th, 2014 to address concerns over current PERM policy and to suggest possible modifications to the process.
Reviewing PERM Policies
In order to revise the current PERM policies, the Labor Department has asked for public input into the process. Input into how current PERM policies affect workers and how difficult the application process is will all be addressed by the DOL. The hope is to redesign the policies to make PERM more useful to the current state of the American workforce.
The Particulars
While the scope of the project is large, the Department of Labor hopes to look at the following issues:
- Analyzing current surpluses and shortages in the American labor force and modifying immigration policies to help fulfill these demands.
- Modernize the techniques used to evaluate candidates for employment in the United States.
- Make clear the expectations the DOL has for American businesses for foreign employees entering into their work force.
- Exploring the possibility of a “premium” evaluation process so that businesses in high demand sectors have priority access to PERM applications.
- Revising the application process so that it’s easier for foreigners to navigate and produces fewer errors in the long run.
The Program’s Future
Also up for review is the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration procedures. The group hopes to examine all aspects of the PERM program, including employee training, and determining areas of improvement to the procedures so that employees immigrating to the United States are better equipped not only for the job they’re applying for, but also jobs after their current employment.
PERM Still a Complicated Process
Although the Department of Labor would like to streamline the PERM program, there’s little doubt that the new policies and procedures will be equally difficult to navigate, despite the necessary improvements to the current methodology.
Contact us to get started!
We’re available to make the process easier for PERM applicants. If you would like to obtain a green card or permanent labor certification, we encourage you to call our green card attorneys for further assistance. We can assist you with the multi-step process of obtaining a perm labor certification in the United States. Contact us today to learn how we can help you reach your goals.