will be employed, if there is no written contract.

(v) Licensure for H classification—(A) General. If an occupation requires a state or local license for an individual to fully perform the duties of the occupation, an alien (except an H-1A nurse) seeking H classification in that occupation must have that license prior to approval of the petition to be found qualified to enter the United States and immediately engage in employment in the occupation.

(B) Temporary licensure. If a temporary license is available and the alien is allowed to perform the duties of the occupation without a permanent license, the director shall examine the nature of the duties, the level at which the duties are performed, the degree of supervision received, and any limitations placed on the alien. If an analysis of the facts demonstrates that the alien under supervision is authorized to fully perform the duties of the occupation, H classification may be granted.

(C) Duties without licensure. In certain occupations which generally require licensure, a state may allow an individual to fully practice the occupation under the supervision of licensed senior or supervisory personnel in that occupation. In such cases, the director shall examine the nature of the duties and the level at which they are performed. If the facts demonstrate that the alien under supervision could fully perform the duties of the occupation, H classification may be granted.

(D) H-1A nurses. For purposes of licensure, H-1A nurses must provide the evidence required in paragraph (h)(3)(iii) of this section.

(E) Limitation on approval of petition. Where licensure is required in any occupation, including registered nursing, the H petition may only be approved for a period of one year or for the period that the temporary license is valid, whichever is longer, unless the alien already has a permanent license to practice the occupation. An alien who is accorded H classification in an occupation which requires licensure may not be granted an extension of stay or accorded a new H classification after the one year unless he or she has obtained a permanent license in the state of intended employment or con

tinues to hold a temporary license valid in the same state for the period of the requested extension.

(vi) Criteria and documentary_requirements for H-1B petitions involving DOD cooperative research and development projects or coproduction projects—(A) General. (1) For purposes of H-1B classification, services of an exceptional nature relating to DOD cooperative research and development projects or coproduction projects shall be those services which require a baccalaureate or higher degree, or its equivalent, to perform the duties. The existence of this special program does not preclude the DOD from utilizing the regular H-1B provisions provided the required guidelines are met.

(2) The requirements relating to a labor condition application from the Department of Labor shall not apply to petitions involving DOD cooperative research and development projects or coproduction projects.

(B) Petitioner requirements. (1) The petition must be accompanied by a verification letter from the DOD project manager for the particular project stating that the alien will be working on a cooperative research and development project or a coproduction project under a reciprocal Governmentto-Government agreement administered by DOD. Details about the specific project are not required.

(2) The petitioner shall provide a general description of the alien's duties on the particular project and indicate the actual dates of the alien's employment on the project.

(3) The petitioner shall submit a statement indicating the names of aliens currently employed on the project in the United States and their dates of employment. The petitioner shall also indicate the names of aliens whose employment the project ended within the past year.

on

(C) Beneficiary requirement. The petition shall be accompanied by evidence that the beneficiary has a baccalaureate or higher degree or its equivalent in the occupational field in which he or she will be performing services in accordance with paragraph (h)(4)(iii)(C) and/or (h)(4)(iii)(D) of this section.

(vii) Criteria and documentary requirements for H-1B petitions for aliens of distinguished merit and ability in the field of fashion modeling-(A) General. Prominence in the field of fashion modeling may be established in the case of an individual fashion model. The work

which a prominent alien is coming to perform in the United States must require the services of a prominent alien. A petition for an H-1B alien of distinguished merit and ability in the field of fashion modeling shall be accompanied by:

(1) Documentation, certifications, affidavits, writings, reviews, or any other required evidence sufficient to establish that the beneficiary is a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. Affidavits submitted by present or former employers or recognized experts certifying to the recognition and distinguished ability of the beneficiary shall specifically describe the beneficiary's recognition and ability in factual terms and must set forth the expertise of the affiant and the manner in which the affiant acquired such information.

(2) Copies of any written contracts between the petitioner and beneficiary, or a summary of the terms of the oral agreement under which the beneficiary will be employed, if there is no written contract.

(B) Petitioner's requirements. To establish that a position requires prominence, the petitioner must establish that the position meets one of the following criteria:

(1) The services to be performed involve events or productions which have a distinguished reputation;

(2) The services are to be performed for an organization or establishment that has a distinguished reputation for, or record of, employing prominent per

sons.

(C) Beneficiary's requirements. A petitioner may establish that a beneficiary is a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability by the submission of two of the following forms of documentation showing that the alien:

(1) Has achieved national or international recognition and acclaim for outstanding achievement in his or her field as evidenced by reviews in major

190-024 D-00--10

newspapers, trade journals, magazines, or other published material;

(2) Has performed and will perform services as a fashion model for employers with a distinguished reputation;

(3) Has received recognition for significant achievements from organizations, critics, fashion houses, modeling agencies, or other recognized experts in the field; or

(4) Commands a high salary or other substantial remuneration for services evidenced by contracts or other reliable evidence.

(viii) Criteria and documentary requirements for H-1B petitions for physicians— (A) Beneficiary's requirements. An H-1B petition for a physician shall be accompanied by evidence that the physician:

(1) Has a license or other authorization required by the state of intended employment to practice medicine, or is exempt by law therefrom, if the physician will perform direct patient care and the state requires the license or authorization, and

(2) Has a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a foreign state or has graduated from a medical school in the United States or in a foreign state.

(B) Petitioner's requirements. The petitioner must establish that the alien physician:

(1) Is coming to the United States primarily to teach or conduct research, or both, at or for a public or nonprofit private educational or research institution or agency, and that no patient care will be performed, except that which is incidental to the physician's teaching or research; or

(2) The alien has passed the Federation Licensing Examination (or an equivalent examination as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) or is a graduate of a United States medical school; and

(i) Has competency in oral and written English which shall be demonstrated by the passage of the English language proficiency test given by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates; or

(ii) Is a graduate of a school of medicine accredited by a body or bodies approved for that purpose by the Secretary of Education.

(C) Exception for physicians of national or international renown. A physician who is a graduate of a medical school in a foreign state and who is of national or international renown in the field of medicine is exempt from the requirements of paragraph (h)(4)(viii)(B) of this section.

(5) Petition for alien to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature (H-2A)-(i) Filing a petition (A) General. An H-2A petition must be filed on Form I-129. The petition must be filed with a single valid temporary agricultural labor certification. However, if a certification is denied, domestic labor subsequently fails to appear at the worksite, and the Department of Labor denies an appeal under section 216(e)(2) of the Act, the written denial of appeal shall be considered a certification for this purpose if filed with evidence which establishes that qualified domestic labor is unavailable. An H-2A petition may be filed by either the employer listed on the certification, the employer's agent, or the association of United States agricultural producers named as a joint employer on the certification.

(B) Multiple beneficiaries. The total number of beneficiaries of a petition or series of petitions based on the same certification may not exceed the number of workers indicated on that document. A single petition can include more than one beneficiary if the total number does not exceed the number of positions indicated on the relating certification, and all beneficiaries will obtain a visa at the same consulate or are not required to have a visa and will apply for admission at the same port of entry.

(C) Unnamed beneficiaries. The sole beneficiary of an H-2A petition must be named in the petition. In a petition for multiple beneficiaries, each must be named unless he or she is not named in the certification and is outside the United States. Unnamed beneficiaries must be shown on the petition by total number.

(D) Evidence. An H-2A petitioner must show that the proposed employment qualifies as a basis for H-2A status, and that any named beneficiary qualifies for that employment. A petition will be automatically denied if

filed without the certification evidence required in paragraph (h)(5)(i)(A) of this section and, for each named beneficiary, the initial evidence required in paragraph (h)(5)(v) of this section.

(E) Special filing requirements. Where a certification shows joint employers, a petition must be filed with an attachment showing that each employer has agreed to the conditions of H-2A eligibility. A petition filed by an agent must be filed with an attachment in which the employer has authorized the agent to act on its behalf, has assumed full responsibility for all representations made by the agent on its behalf, and has agreed to the conditions of H2A eligibility.

(ii) Effect of the labor certification process. The temporary agricultural labor certification process determines whether employment is as an agricultural worker, whether it is open to U.S. workers, if qualified U.S. workers are available, the adverse impact of employment of a qualified alien, and whether employment conditions, including housing, meet applicable requirements. In petition proceedings a petitioner must establish that the employment and beneficiary meet the requirements of paragraph (h)(5) of this section. In a petition filed with a certification denial, the petitioner must also overcome the Department of Labor's findings regarding the availability of qualified domestic labor.

(iii) Ability and intent to meet a job offer—(A) Eligibility requirements. An H2A petitioner must establish that each beneficiary will be employed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the certification, which includes that the principal duties to be performed are those on the certification, with other duties minor and incidental.

(B) Intent and prior compliance. Requisite intent cannot be established for two years after an employer or joint employer, or a parent, subsidiary or affiliate thereof, is found to have violated section 274(a) of the Act or to have employed an H-2A worker in a position other than that described in the relating petition.

(C) Initial evidence. Representations required for the purpose of labor certification are initial evidence of intent.

(iv) Temporary and seasonal employment (A) Eligibility requirements. An H-2A petitioner must establish that the employment proposed in the certification is of a temporary or seasonal nature. Employment is of a seasonal nature where it is tied to a certain time of year by an event or pattern, such as a short annual growing cycle or a specific aspect of a longer cycle, and requires labor levels far above those necessary for ongoing operations. Employment is of a temporary nature where the employer's need to fill the position with a temporary worker will, except in extraordinary circumstances, last no longer than one year.

(B) Effect of Department of Labor findings. In temporary agricultural labor certification proceedings the Department of Labor separately tests whether employment qualifies as temporary or seasonal. Its finding that employment qualifies is normally sufficient for the purpose of an H-2A petition, However, notwithstanding that finding, employment will be found not to be temporary or seasonal where an application for permanent labor certification has been filed for the same alien, or for another alien to be employed in the same position, by the same employer or by its parent, subsidiary or affiliate. This can only be overcome by the petitioner's demonstration that there will be at least a six month interruption of employment in the United States after H2A status ends. Also, eligibility will not be found, notwithstanding the issuance of a temporary agricultural labor certification, where there is substantial evidence that the employment is not temporary or seasonal.

(v) The beneficiary's qualifications—(A) Eligibility requirements. An H-2A petitioner must establish that any named beneficiary met the stated minimum requirements and was fully able to perform the stated duties when the application for certification was filed. It must be established at time of application for an H-2A visa, or for admission if a visa is not required, that any unnamed beneficiary either met these requirements when the certification was applied for or passed any certified aptitude test at any time prior to visa issuance, or prior to admission if a visa is not required.

(B) Initial evidence of employment/job training. A petition must be filed with evidence that at the required time the beneficiary met the certification's minimum employment and job training requirements. Initial evidence must be in the form of the past employer's detailed statement or actual employment documents, such as company payroll or tax records. Alternately, a petitioner must show that such evidence cannot be obtained, and submit affidavits from people who worked with the beneficiary that demonstrate the claimed employment.

(C) Initial evidence of education and other training. A petition must be filed with evidence that at the required time each beneficiary met the certification's minimum post-secondary education and other formal training requirements. Initial evidence must be in the form of documents, issued by the relevant institution or organization, that show periods of attendance, majors and degrees or certificates accorded.

(vi) Petition agreements-(A) Consent and liabilities. In filing an H-2A petition, a petitioner and each employer consents to allow access to the site where the labor is being performed for the purpose of determining compliance with H-2A requirements. The petitioner further agrees to notify the Service in the manner specified within twenty-four hours if an H-2A worker absconds or if the authorized employment ends more than five days before the relating certification document expires, and to pay liquidated damages of ten dollars for each instance where it cannot demonstrate compliance with this notification requirement. The petitioner also agrees to pay liquidated damages of two hundred dollars for each instance where is cannot demonstrate that its H-2A worker either departed the United States or obtained authorized status based on another petition during the period of admission or within five days of early termination, whichever comes first.

(B) Process. Where evidence indicates noncompliance under paragraph (h)(5)(vi)(A) of this section, the petitioner shall be given written notice and given ten days to reply. If it does not demonstrate compliance, it shall be

given written notice of the assessment of liquidated damages.

(C) Failure to pay liquidated damages. If liquidated damages are not paid within ten days of assessment, an H-2A petition may not be processed for that petitioner or any joint employer shown on the petition until such damages are paid.

(vii) Validity. An approved H-2A petition is valid through the expiration of the relating certification for the purpose of allowing a beneficiary to seek issuance of an H-2A nonimmigrant visa, admission or an extension of stay for the purpose of engaging in the specific certified employment.

(viii) Admission—(A) Effect of violation of status. An alien may not be accorded H-2A status who the Service finds to have violated the conditions of H-2A status within the prior five years. H-2A status is violated by remaining beyond the specific period of authorized stay or by engaging in unauthorized employment.

(B) Period of admission. Notwithstanding paragraph (h)(13) of this section, and except as provided in paragraph (h)(5)(ix)(C) of this section, an alien admissible as an H-2A shall be admitted for the period of the approved petition plus a period of up to one week before the beginning of the approved period for the purpose of travel to the worksite, and a period following the expiration of the H-2A petition equal to the validity period of the petition, but not more than ten days, for the purpose of departure or extension based on a subsequent offer of employment. However, this extended admission period does not affect the beneficiary's employment authorization. Such authorization only applies to the specific employment indicated in the relating petition, for the specific period of time indicated.

(C) Limits on an individual's stay. An alien's stay as an H-2A is limited by the term of an approved petition. An alien may remain longer to engage in other qualifying temporary agricultural employment by obtaining an extension of stay. However, an individual who has held H-2A status for a total of three years may not again be granted H-2A status, or other nonimmigrant status based on agricultural activities,

until such time as he or she remains outside the United States for an uninterrupted period of six months. An absence can interrupt the accumulation of time spent as an H-2A. If the accumulated stay is eighteen months or less, an absence is interruptive if it lasts for at least three months. If more than eighteen months stay has been accumulated, an absence is interruptive if it lasts for at least one-sixth the accumulated stay. Eligibility under this subparagraph will be determined in admission, change of status or extension proceedings. An alien found eligible for a shorter period of H-2A status than that indicated by the petition due to the application of this subparagraph shall only be admitted for that abbreviated period.

(ix) Substitution of beneficiaries after admission. An H-2A petition may be filed to replace H-2A workers whose employment was terminated early. The petition must be filed with a copy of the certification document, a copy of the approval notice covering the workers for which replacements are sought, and other evidence required by paragraph (h)(5)(i)(D) of this section. It must also be filed with a statement giving each terminated worker's name, date and country of birth, termination date, and evidence the worker has departed the United States. A petition for a replacement may not be approved where the requirements of paragraph (h)(5)(vi) of this section have not been met. A petition for replacements does not constitute the notice that an H-2A worker has absconded or has ended authorized employment more than five days before the relating certification expires.

(x) Extensions without labor certification. A single H-2A petition may be extended without a certification if it is based on approval of the alien's application for extension of stay for a continuation of the employment authorized by the approval of a previous H-2A petition filed with a certification (but not a certification extension granted under 20 CFR 655.106(c)(3)), and the proposed continuation of employment will last no longer than the previously authorized employment and also will not last longer than two weeks.