Temporary Accommodation for Form I-129 H-2A Petitions Has Expired

The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification has announced that it has stopped sending Adobe PDF copies of approved temporary labor certifications (TLCs) to H-2A employers and authorized representatives as of November 18, 2013.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) previously issued an alert allowing H-2A petitioners to temporarily file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with a copy of the signed, certified TLC. To align with the Department of Labor’s return to normal practice following the federal government shutdown, USCIS’s temporary accommodation expired on November 29, 2013. Beginning December 2, 2013, USCIS will revert to its previous filing practice and will not accept any I-129 H-2A petitions filed without the certified TLC on blue security paper with original signatures.

• The announcement 
• Frequently asked questions about H-2A and H-2B signature requirements for electronically filed temporary labor certifications and the H classification supplement to the I-129