Labor Department: iCERT technical issues causing delays

A technical systems issue is impacting the Labor Department’s iCERT portal system, causing delays that affect the processing of H-1B, H-2B and H-2A visa applications, according to the department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certifications.

Employers should anticipate delays as the agency works to fix the systems glitch. According to the statement, the iCERT system’s application and database are working properly, but the network infrastructure that supports the iCERT system is “exhibiting performance issues that are significantly impacting our staff’s ability to process case actions for our employer customers.”

The iCERT system is used to process wage and labor requests by employers who are sponsoring foreign workers, including labor condition applications for H-1B petitions and prevailing wage determination for permanent labor certification (PERM) applications.

While the government’s announcement did not address PERM prevailing wage determinations, BAL has seen longer processing times for these requests in recent months.

BAL Analysis: As the agency works to fix the technical issues, employers should plan for longer timelines and factor in several additional weeks when planning to file petitions that require action from the Labor Department.

Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.