Additional Documents Required With Your Petition

Labor Condition Application (LCA)

You must submit a certified Department of Labor LCA (Form ETA 9035) at the time you file your petition. A copy of the LCA is acceptable. 

Note: USCIS encourages petitioners to keep Department of Labor LCA processing times in mind when preparing the H-1B petition and to plan accordingly. If the LCA is certified for multiple workers, you must provide the name and USCIS case receipt number of any foreign worker who has previously used the LCA. 

Petitioners must sign the LCA before submitting it with the petition to USCIS.

Please see the Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification website for more information on the LCA process. 

Evidence of Beneficiary’s Educational Background

You must submit evidence of the beneficiary’s education credentials (with English translations when applicable) at the time you file your petition. If the beneficiary has met all of the requirements for a degree, but the degree has not yet been awarded, you may submit the following alternate evidence:

• A copy of the beneficiary’s final transcript; or


• A letter from the registrar confirming that the beneficiary has met all of the degree requirements. If the educational institution does not have a registrar, then the letter must be signed by the person in charge of educational records where the degree will be awarded.

If you indicate that the beneficiary is qualified based on a combination of education and experience, please provide substantiating evidence at the time you file your petition.

A Copy of the H-1B Petition

If the beneficiary will be applying for a nonimmigrant visa abroad, you should submit a copy of your H-1B petition with your petition.  If you receive a Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) then you should also submit a copy of your response.

You may also submit a copy of the petition and any subsequent response to a RFE or NOID even if the beneficiary is requesting a change of status to H-1B or an extension of stay. This may assist the beneficiary if he or she later decides to seek a visa abroad or the H-1B petition is approved but the change of status or extension of stay request is denied. 

Please note, failure to submit a copy may result in delays in processing this petition or in visa processing abroad.

You can check the Department of State website to make sure that the consulate indicated on Form I-129 is able to process the beneficiary’s nonimmigrant visa application. You can also check for any instructions specific to that consulate.

Multiple or Duplicative Filings

According to an interim rule announced on March 19, 2008, employers may not file multiple or duplicative H-1B petitions for the same employee. To ensure fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple or duplicative petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees.