On March 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register designed to substantially restructure the methodology used to calculate prevailing wages for H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 nonimmigrant classifications.
The proposed changes would result in significant wage increases across all four levels for some pending applications and all new filings, including extensions of H-1B, H-1B, and E-3 employees. Based on the DOL’s historical and proposed prevailing wages data, the proposed adjustments would increase the average certified wage by approximately $14,000 per year per sponsored employee. The proposed rule would continue to permit employers to use alternative wage sources beyond the OEWS salary survey data, which are not subject to the DOL wage percentiles.
The 60-day public comment period closed on May 26, 2026, and DOL must now review the comments received before deciding whether to finalize, modify, or withdraw the proposal. … Read the complete article here...
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