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Your employer might have provided you with a copy of the H1B LCA if you applied for an H1B visa for 2022. Among the details provided in the LCA are your wage levels, SOC code, job title, etc. The LCA case number can be used to verify LCA online.
What is the LCA, and why is it so important? The LCA or Labor Condition Application is a form US employers must file while sponsoring foreign applicants for E3, H1B, and H1B1 programs. Filing LCA is mandatory, and to file it, one must use Form 9035 E or 9035. The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is responsible for certifying all LCAs. Once approved, an LCA is valid for upto three years for H1B and H1B1 visas or two years for E3 visas.
For online filing of an LCA through the ETAs FLAG system, your employer must use Form 9035E. Your employer must obtain special permission to submit a paper application ETA 9035 by mail. Since all employers must use electronic filing, the FLAG system is also designed to allow only the H1B sponsors to log in and check the case status. There is no option for the public to view or verify details of H1B LCA using the LCA case number online.
When your employer files an LCA for H1B visa with an ETA Form 9035E and 9035, the US Department of Labor (DoL) issues a unique 15-digit number known as the LCA Case Number. This number is generated when the employer submits the electronic form using the FLAG system.
The Case Number format is I-XXX-XXXXX-XXXXXX, and you can find it in the footer of each page or on Page 6 of the LCA form. There is only one option to verify H1B LCA status. To do that, you should download the Public Disclosure Excel files that the DoL provides as Office of Foreign Labor Certification Performance Data. You can enter the LCA Case Number and search for details like wage levels, prevailing salary for that position, job title, SOC code, and the name of the person who filed it.
So, Where Does The Data Come From?
It is not hard to guess that all the data comes from the DoL. As required by the transparency protocols, the DoL releases a massive amount of LCA and H1B data every single year. The data is released in a huge spreadsheet. However, you will not find the following details in the released data, even though they are required for filing an LCA:
Let's now take a closer look at the LCA Case Number Format.
All LCA Case numbers start with an upper case I, followed by:
All these numbers are separated by a hyphen. For example: 1- 123-45678-356987.
This format is categorized as:
Here's a detailed look at what the terms in the format mean:
Visa Program Designation
3-Digit Visa IDs
5 Digit Julian Date indicates the date when the case was submitted.
6 Digit case indicates a number that's randomly assigned to the case.
Often, many people confuse the LCA Case Number with the USCIS Case Number. Please note that both numbers are very different from each other. Here's how you can tell the difference between both.
Also Read: A Brief Overview of LCA Requirements & Fees
For each visa application filed, the USCIS designates a unique 13-digit number, which can be found on Form I-797. You can use this number for checking your immigration application submitted to the USCIS.
The LCA Number is given when your employer files your LCA with the Department of Labor, a different entity from the USCIS. You cannot get the USCIS Case Number from the LCA or ETA Case Number.
To Summarize
If you are an H1B beneficiary, you can view the LCA details using the LCA Case Number. If you have any doubts or queries, visit TechFetch H1B .
**Disclaimer: All H1B processes are subject to change. Kindly refer to the USCIS official website for the latest updates.