October 23, 2006

Federal Register Notice of DOL Extension of RIR Conversion

Earlier this month the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice in the Federal Register indicating that it will now allow employers who filed traditional labor certification applications prior to March 28, 2005 to request conversion to Reduction in Recruitment (RIR) processing. Before the PERM labor certification process became effective on March 28, 2005, RIR was a processing method that allowed an employer to file evidence of recruitment with the labor certification application rather than waiting for recruitment instructions from the State Workforce Agency. Generally, cases that were filed using RIR have been handled more quickly than traditional labor certification applications. In cases that meet the requirements of the new regulations, employers now may convert their traditional cases by filing proof of recruitment efforts within the past six months. Prior to this notice employers were only able to convert labor certification applications that were filed prior to August 3, 2001. This eligibility date extension is effective as of October 6, 2006.

For more information on the specific requirements for RIR conversion and how to request a conversion, please visit the DOL’s FAQ’s for Extended RIR Conversion Date at http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/foreign/pdf/backlog_faqs_10-06-06.pdf.