With the government office that handles labor certification requests for U.S. employers hoping to bring workers from abroad recently undergoing a major restructuring, it's possible companies could see more consistent adjudications from the office, but they may also face sporadic delays when work is redistributed, according to attorneys.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification, which is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor that handles labor certification requests, recently rolled out changes to its organizational structure, rearranging its divisions into four units.
The updates took effect on June 13, and although they represent a major overhaul for the OFLC, they received surprisingly little public fanfare, with the office simply linking to a layout of the changes on its website. Still, attorneys say that the OFLC reorganization could lead to more reliable decision-making when it comes to labor certifications.
***
"Organizing it all together might be certainly a positive move," said Nataliya Rymer of Greenberg Traurig LLP. "I think that having all of the operations together — the temporary and the permanent programs — might allow for more consistent adjudication."