To meet H1B requirements, the employer must pay the H1B employee the prevailing wage for the position in that industry for companies of that size in that geographical location. Last year, we saw jobs with Level 1 Wages targeted both questioning the wage level and whether the job meets H1B specialization requirements.
But what if the prevailing wage level for the specialty occupation in question is level one?
First, regardless of the job in question, you have to be very familiar with the position’s entry in the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. If the job is set at wage level one, it is likely CIS will assume it’s an entry level position. Some entry level positions do not require the advanced degree that H1B status demands – a US bachelors degree or higher or its equivalent.
If the entry level position requires anything lower than a US bachelor’s degree as a minimum qualification – even if the job itself isn’t entry-level – you will run into trouble.
To address this wage level issue, you will need to include a detailed breakdown of the position’s duties and responsibilities. Include the ad for the job and past hiring practices that clearly show the minimum requirement of a US bachelors degree for entry into the position. You should also include a detailed analysis of all of the factors that went into determining the wage level for the job and tie it all together with an expert opinion letter to fortify your case.
This is just one of many wage level issue RFEs coming in this year. CIS may take issue with the job at any wage level. The important thing to remember about wage level RFEs is that they are inextricably linked with specialty occupation issues, so it’s best to address both issues with the same response. In your expert opinion letter, both topics should be covered.
To meet H1B requirements for specialty occupation, the job must require a minimum of a US bachelor’s degree or higher or its equivalent for entry into the position. If this is a requirement for the specific job in question but not as an industry standard as indicated in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, you will need to provide a detailed job description that clearly shows the duties and responsibilities of the job require a specialized knowledge base and skill set. You will also need to document past hiring practices to show this position always requires an advanced degree for this particular business. If the Occupational Outlook Handbook states that sometimes employers will hire for this position with lower minimum educational requirements, provide ads for the same position in similar companies in the industry to show that the lower minimum educational requirement is the exception, not the rule. Regardless of your situation, the expert opinion letter must be included for analysis and fortification of your case.
At TheDegreePeople.com we have experts on hand 24/7 in all industries and areas of expertise to write the opinion letter you need, or your employee or client needs to get that H1B visa approved. For a free consultation visit ccifree.com/?CodeLWA/. We will get back to you in 48 hours or less.
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