Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Labor Department Set to Unveil Public Database of PERMs and LCAs on July 1

From Fragomen.com, 06/24/2013

On July 1, the U.S. Department of Labor will launch a searchable online registry of PERM and labor condition applications (LCAs) that will make employer sponsorship information more quickly and easily accessible to the public. The database, which was announced earlier this year, will contain information on PERMs and LCAs certified since April 15, 2009. 

The new registry will appear on the agency’s iCERT portal. Data on new PERMs and LCAs are expected to be available for public viewing within two business days of certification. The information will reportedly be available in a variety of formats, including PDF copies of certified cases and a searchable database. DOL plans to redact certain information from public disclosure, including the names of foreign workers and employer FEIN numbers, but the full extent of the redaction will not be known until the database goes live. 

Currently, DOL discloses some PERM and LCA case data in quarterly reports to the public, though disclosure is limited to basic details of the employer and offered position.