The U.S. Department of Labor has released its statistics for the 2016 fiscal year. The Department of Labor oversees the PERM labor certification process, which is often the first step in the green card process, as well as the labor condition application (LCA) process, which is a critical element in certain nonimmigrant visa applications, including H-1B and E-3.
In relation to the PERM labor certification program, the key statistics showed the following:
– The number of labor certification applications received increased by 11.3% from 2015, with a total of 115,933 applications being processed.
– Of the applications that were approved/certified in 2016, 56% were for nationals of India, with the next closest being for citizens of China (9%), South Korea (7%), Canada (3%) and Mexico (2%).
– The minimum education requirements for labor certification positions were 47% Advanced degrees (Master’s and above); 39% Bachelor’s degrees; 11% less than Bachelor’s (such as an Associate’s degree); and 3% other education requirements.
With regard to the LCA program, the key statistics revealed the following:
– There were 1.2 million applications certified in 2016! This means many employers are continuing to hire and extend H-1B and E-3 employees.
– Of these, 26.4% were for Computer Systems Analysts and 15.2% were for Software Developers (Applications). LCA’s were also certified for Management Analysts, Accountants and Auditors, Financial Analysts, Operations Research Analysts, and Electrical Engineers (Except Computers).
We will continue to monitor trends as they affect our clients and advise of any impacts.