Raleigh PERM Labor Certification Lawyers

What is PERM Labor Certification?

If you own or operate a business, you know how hard it can be to find workers with the qualifications you need to serve your customers properly. In some cases, finding the right employment solutions could involve helping your non-immigrant foreign employees obtain their Green Cards and become lawful permanent residents of the United States. Once an employee has a Green Card, he or she can continue working for you for the indefinite future.

At Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC, our experienced immigration attorneys help business owners and executives with PERM Labor Certification, which is the most common way to start converting a non-immigrant worker to a lawful permanent resident. The process itself can be quite complex, and it must be initiated by the employer. If you have foreign workers that you would like to sponsor for their Green Cards, we can help you with every step of the process.

Understanding the PERM Labor Certification Process

The primary goals of the PERM Labor Certification process are ensuring that you will try to find a qualified U.S. worker to fill your company's needs first and that you will pay your new permanent worker the prevailing wage for his or her work. These considerations are important because there is a public interest in preventing adverse effects on the wages and conditions of similar American workers.

You, as the employer, are responsible for filing the Labor Certification with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) before any applications are filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The PERM process typically requires the following steps:

• Set the prevailing wage – You must request a Prevailing Wage Determination, in which the DOL will look at the duties and responsibilities of the employee's position and decide on the wage that must be paid if and when the worker gets a Green Card.
• Good faith recruitment efforts – You must make good faith efforts to recruit for your available position. The types of recruitment activities and placements that are required will depend on the type of position.
• Look at U.S. applicants – If your recruitment efforts result in responses from American workers, you must evaluate each applicant. You can only proceed with your PERM application if you cannot find an appropriately qualified U.S. candidate.
• Apply for Labor Certification – Your lawyer will help you prepare the application and submit it to the DOL. The application approval process can take up to seven or eight months or longer.
• Apply for an immigrant visa – Upon receiving the Labor Certification, you can then request an employment-based immigrant visa for the employee as his or her sponsor.
• Request a Green Card – The last step is for your employee to apply for lawful permanent resident status through an Adjustment of Status or consular processing, depending on whether or not the employee is currently in the United States.

Helping With the Details in Smithfield and Charlotte

As you work to get your employee his or her Green Card, you are likely to have many questions. At Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC, we are well-versed in the PERM process, and we know what it takes to get favorable results. We will help you understand what your responsibilities are, and we will do our part to assist you with the necessary documentation and the submission of your application. Our lawyers will also help your employee take the final steps of obtaining an immigrant visa and Green Card. We know how challenging the bureaucratic processes can be, and our goal is to help you get the qualified workers you need.

Call 1-844-YO-PELEO to Learn More

For more information about PERM Labor Certification and how our team can help with the process, contact the offices of Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC. Call 1-844-YO-PELEO for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your specific situation today. We have offices in Raleigh, Smithfield, Charlotte, and Orlando, FL. Hablamos Espanol.