US Visa Associates

Synopsis: As a component of the Department’s E-Government initiative, the Employment

and Training Administration's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is developing a

new web-based tool that will re-engineer the processing of H-2A applications filed by U.S.

farmers, ranchers, and associations of agricultural producers. The release of this new H-

2A Program Module will be integrated into the OFLC’s existing iCERT Visa Portal System

(icert.doleta.gov), which supports the filing and processing of more than 450,000 employer

H-1B applications and requests for prevailing wage determinations annually.

The Department believes this new electronic filing capability will enhance the accessibility

and quality of visa program services, reduce the data collection and reporting burden on

small employers, facilitate more streamlined business processes, and establish a greater

level of transparency in the OFLC’s decision making.

Target Release Date: December 10, 2012

Key Design Features:

• Online Account Management: Agricultural associations, employers, or authorized

attorneys/agents can establish and maintain a customized iCERT account, profile

information, and sub-account users; manage client or association membership lists;

prepare, submit and track H-2A applications; and reuse H-2A applications from previous

seasons to reduce data entry time.

• Automated Data Quality and Integrity Checks: Strengthens data quality by providing

real-time form validation (e-checks) to warn customers of mandatory or missing entries

on the ETA Form 9142 that, when not completed, may result in application processing

delays. Customers will receive immediate warnings during the data entry and again, in

summary form, at the final pre-submission stage of the process.

• Elimination of Paper-based Submissions: Significantly reduces administrative time

and costs by allowing customers to upload supporting documentation (e.g., ETA Form

790, signed and dated Appendix A.2, FLC registration, surety bond) as part of the ETA

Form 9142 submission process in either Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or text file formats

for more efficient storage and retrieval by the Chicago NPC in processing the

application.

• E-mail Customer Notifications and Correspondence: Improves transparency of

OFLC decisions by providing employer customers with e-mail notifications and other

official correspondence (e.g., Notice of Deficiency or Acceptance) during key points of

the business process and quick access to check the status of pending applicatio