Whats the difference between a Schedule A occupation and a Non-Schedule A occupation?
For some types of positions, the Department of Labor (DOL) has found that recruitment is unnecessary because there is either a chronic shortage of U.S. workers or the position itself is not the type for which recruitment would be meaningful. Those types of positions are pre-certified. When one of those positions is involved, no labor certification application need be filed with the DOL. Instead the proper (labor certification) forms are filed directly with the USCIS, along with the remainder of the immigrant visa petition. Occupations included in Schedule A are PHYSICAL THERAPISTS, PROFESSIONAL NURSES (RN’s), AND ALIENS WITH EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY IN THE SCIENCES OR ARTS. (See Schedule A Occupations) For most other occupations, the DOL must certify that U.S. workers qualified for the job being offered are unable to fill the position. This means that the employer must first apply to the DOL for its certification that qualified U.S. workers have been recruited for the position and are unava
