What is the required wage for purposes of the LCA program?
The required wage is the wage the employer must pay to its foreign workers in the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 visa categories for the entire period of authorized employment, as approved by the Department. The required wage rate must be the higher of the actual wage rate (the rate the employer pays to all other individuals with similar experience and qualifications who are performing the same job), or the prevailing wage (a wage that is predominantly paid to workers in the same occupational classification in the area of intended employment at the time the application is filed). In addition, an employer is not permitted to pay a wage that is lower than a wage required under any other applicable Federal, State or local law.
