CASE: I-140 (EB-3 Category) / Schedule A
EMPLOYER: Nursing / Rehabilitation Center
BENEFICIARY: Filipina Registered Nurse in the Philippines
LOCATION: Houston, TX
Our client is Filipina registered nurse who currently works in the Philippines. Her prospective employer was willing to petition her for a third-preference employment immigrant visa petition (I-140) as a registered nurse.
Since she is a registered nurse, she is eligible for “Schedule A” classification. The Department of Labor (DOL) maintains a schedule of occupations in its regulations, Schedule A included, for which the individual permanent labor certification procedure is not required. The schedule of pre-certified occupations is referred to as Schedule A, and is included in DOL regulations at 20 CFR 656.10. Based on an occupation’s inclusion on Schedule A, an employer may file an immigrant visa petition (I-140) directly with the (USCIS) without first going to the DOL for a labor certification. Usually, prior to filing I-140 petitions (EB-2 or EB-3 category), the employer must file a Labor Certification to the Department of Labor. However, for Schedule A cases, the employer does not have to go through the labor certification process. The position of Professional Nurses is included in Schedule A.
Our client has a nursing degree and has a Texas Registered Nurse License. Our firm told her that her prospective employer can petition her as a Registered Nurse under the schedule A category. Our office was retained on August 11, 2020 and we started on her Prevailing Wage Request. Her PW request was filed on August 12, 2020.
We filed the I-140 application on February 5, 2021 via premium processing. We included the job offer letter, the notice of filing, financial ability to pay letter, and other necessary supporting documents. Eventually, on February 23, 2021, our client’s I-140 petition was approved without any Request for Evidence (RFE). Now, our client can file an immigrant visa application based on the approved I-140 petition.