BALCA
Below are some important Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) cases.
BALCA Finds Employer’s Attempts to Screen U.S. Workers Insufficient
BALCA held that the letters the employer sent to U.S. applicants were insufficient, noting that there was no attempt to determine whether they could become qualified with reasonable on-the-job training and there was no proof that the applicants received the letters. (Matter of Twins, 11/1/13). Read the BALCA case here.
BALCA OKs Omission of Language Requirement in NOF
BALCA reversed the denial, finding the omission of a Spanish language requirement in the Notice of Filing was not by itself fatal to the application where the overall text of the NOF was sufficient to apprise U.S. workers of the job opportunity. (Matter of Architectural Stone Accents, 7/3/13). Read the BALCA case here.
BALCA Upholds Denial in Case Involving Home Office
BALCA found the employer’s ads unduly restrictive, where the employer listed “Houston, TX” (the place of the beneficiary’s residence) as the geographic area of employment, when in fact, the position is more flexible and allows the person to work from home. (Matter of Siemen’s, 7/23/13). Read the BALCA case here.
BALCA Says Laid-Off U.S. Worker was Rejected for a Lawful, Job-Related Reason
BALCA found that the U.S. worker’s lack of special skills was a lawful, job-related reason for rejection, and that the employer’s failure to identify the requirements for the U.S. worker’s previous position did not warrant denial. (Matter of Cisco Systems, 4/26/13) [Courtesy – AILA] Read the BALCA case.
BALCA on Documenting Recruitment from the Employer’s Website
BALCA found that where an employer attestation in the recruitment report is submitted as evidence of recruitment on the employer’s website in lieu of dated screenshots, the attestation must be in affidavit form. (Matter of DGN Technologies, 4/29/13) [Courtesy – AILA]
BALCA Remands, Says Ads Would Not Prevent U.S. Workers from Applying
Noting that the job description was written in plural terms, BALCA found that the ads clearly included multiple positions, were not misleading, and did not cause confusion that would prevent potential U.S. applicants from applying. (Matter of
Microsoft Corp., 4/12/13). [Courtesy-AILA]
BALCA Interprets Drafting of Alternative Requirements on the ETA 9089
BALCA reversed the denial, finding that the CO ignored the employer’s experience requirements stated in Item H-14 and incorrectly interpreted the alternative education requirements as alternative employment requirements. (Matter of General Electric Co., 1/22/13)
Read the BALCA decision. [Courtesy – AILA]
BALCA Reverses Denial Due to of Deficient Job Order Form
BALCA reversed denial because evidence demonstrated that the employer entered the actual minimum requirements into the job order form, but that a deficient form caused those requirements to be converted. (Matter of Cognizant Technology Solutions US Corp., 11/29/12).
BALCA Reverses CO’s Denial, Discusses Recruitment for “Roving” Positions
BALCA found that the employer did not mislead U.S. workers where the ads stated the position was located in San Francisco and may require multiple long-term regional assignments but the ETA 9089 listed Fremont, the company’s headquarters. (Matter of Infosys, 11/16/12).
BALCA Upholds Denial Where Attorney Failed to Sign ETA 9089 in Audit Response
BALCA affirmed the denial where the attorney failed to sign the ETA 9089 submitted with the audit response, noting that the instructions provide clear notice to the employer that the 9089 must be signed by the attorney or agent. (Matter of TLH Construction, 8/19/10).
BALCA on Documenting Employer Referral Programs
BALCA found that the dates on the ETA 9089, a statement that the program was in effect when recruitment began, and proof that the ERP was part of the handbook was sufficient to show that the ERP was in effect during recruitment. (Matter of Bottomline Tech., 10/18/12).
BALCA Upholds PWD Where Job Duties Reflect Combination of O*Net Occupations
Applying the code for the higher-paying of the two O*Net occupations, BALCA found that the assignment of a Level 3 wage for “Natural Sciences Managers” was consistent with the 2009 PWD Guidance and was not an abuse of discretion.
(Matter of Emory University, 2/27/12). –Courtesy AILA.
Read the BALCA decision on Matter of Emory University (pdf).
BALCA Upholds Level 3 PWD for University Psychologist/Lecturer
BALCA affirmed the PWD for a Psychologist/Lecturer, finding that a Level 3 wage for “Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists” was proper where the job included both teaching and practicing psychologist duties. (Matter of Univ. of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 3/27/12). –Courtesy-AILA.
Read the BALCA decision on the matter of Univ of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (PDF).