News Update - December 21, 2007

By Alan Lee, Esq.

Department of Labor Confirms Official Closure of Backlog Elimination Centers Refers Inquiries to Chicago National Processing Center

The Department of Labor issued its 8th FAQ titled “Backlog Elimination Frequently Asked Questions Round 8” confirming that the Dallas and Philadelphia Backlog Elimination Centers for pre-PERM labor certifications will be officially closed on 12/21/07. After such time, those seeking information on their applications will need to contact the Chicago National Processing Center either through email at bec.Chicago@dol.gov (subject line “attn: backlog”) or by mail at

U.S. Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Attn: BEC Inquiries
844 N. Rush Street, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611

The Public Disclosure System (PDS) at http://pds.pbls.doleta.gov will remain available for public to check case status online until all cases are completed. The Department of Labor also stresses that if there has never been any contact from a BEC, then the case is considered to not have reached their office (in other words, dead) and that employers can file a new PERM application.

 


The author is a 26+ year practitioner of immigration law based in New York City. He was awarded the Sidney A. Levine prize for best legal writing at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1977 and has written extensively on immigration over the past years for the ethnic newspapers, World Journal, Sing Tao, Pakistan Calling, Muhasha and OCS. He has testified as an expert on immigration in civil court proceedings and was recognized by the Taiwan government in 1985 for his work protecting human rights. His article, "The Bush Temporary Worker Proposal and Comparative Pending Legislation: an Analysis" was Interpreter Releases' cover display article at the American Immigration Lawyers Association annual conference in 2004, and his victory in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in a case of first impression nationwide, Firstland International v. INS, successfully challenged INS' policy of over 40 years of revoking approved immigrant visa petitions under a nebulous standard of proof. Its value as precedent, however, was short-lived as it was specifically targeted by the Administration in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.

This article © 2007 Alan Lee, Esq.

 

Copyright © 2003-2012 Alan Lee, Esq.
The information provided here is of a general nature and may not apply to any particular set of facts or circumstances. It should not be construed as legal advice and does not constitute an engagement of the Law Office of Alan Lee or establish an attorney-client relationship.