Chicago Immigration Lawyer Blog
In a recent decision the Administrative Appeals Office affirmed the revocation of an H-1B petition where the geographical location of employment had changed triggering a requirement for a new Labor Condition Application. In Matter of Simeo Solutions, LLC, 26 I&N Dec. 542 (AAO 2015), the AAO determined that a change in the beneficiary’s location of employment is a material change to the terms and conditions of employment as originally listed in the H-1B petition. Because such change is material, the petitioning employer was required to file an amended H-1B petition corresponding to a new LCA that reflects the change. The AAO noted that Section 212(n) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ties the prevailing wage to the “area of employment.” Therefore, the AAO reasoned, “a change in the beneficiary’s place of employment to a geographical area not covered in the original LCA would be material” for both the LCA and the H-1B petition, since such change may affect eligibility for H-1B petition.
Background
In this case, the employer filed H-1B petition changing the beneficiary’s status from F-1 student to H-1B employee. In the Labor Condition Application and the H-1B petition, the employer identified an