The Dept. of Labor’s Employment Training Administration has announced a new electronic system for submitting the Labor Condition Application and the Application for Permanent Employment Certification for foreign workers.

The H–1B nonimmigrant program provides a means for U.S. employers to employ foreign workers on a temporary basis in specialty occupations while the PERM program allows employers to employ foreign workers on a permanent basis. Currently, both programs have electronic applications that can be filled out and submitted on-line, however, the two electronic systems are not linked and an employer desiring to file applications in both systems must set up separate accounts. According to ETA, the new iCERT system will allow program users to set up one account and multiple subaccounts and utilize the account to file in both programs. “There are enhanced security measures that allow employers, attorneys, and agents to control who is authorized to input data and who is authorized to submit applications,” ETA says.

The system will be located at http://icert.doleta.gov/.