To assist with the nursing shortage, LeadingAge co-signed an April 1, 2022, coalition letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), offering solutions to address concerns about the timeliness of prevailing wage determinations by DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification for Schedule A professions (these are prevailing wage determinations for registered nurses and physical therapists). On May 3, 2022, the coalition received a letter from Brian Pasternak, the Department of Labor’s Administrator for the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). Unfortunately, Administrator Pasternak shared the DOL cannot implement the coalition’s request of expediting the processing of Schedule A petitions by creating a new category for Schedule A petitions. OFLC is investing in additional staff to address the increase in demand for prevailing wage determinations, as well as other OFLC programs, Administrator Pasternak says. You can view an article here with additional details regarding Administrator Pasternak’s letter and LeadingAge’s advocacy to support immigration solutions that ensure there will be enough qualified individuals in the U.S. to fill vacant and future positions in aging services.
