Between the H-1B fee news, DOL’s Project Firewall, and the return of wage-based lottery proposals, the immigration world hasn’t slowed down — and neither has our work at LaborLess. This is the busiest we've ever been, especially after a conference. But that’s exactly why I want to share a few key takeaways from WERC, especially for those who couldn’t attend.
Because if there was one overarching message coming out of the WERC Global conference this year, it was this:
Labor Condition Application (LCA) and Public Access File (PAF) compliance isn’t just a best practice anymore — it’s mission critical.
A New Era of Compliance Across the Industry
From BAL's panel about how to scale growing immigration programs, to Greenberg Traurig’s compliance-focused session on PAFs, FDNS site visits, and enforcement risk, every conversation kept returning to one central theme: compliance is the name of the game.
Even Fragomen’s Chairman Enrique Gonzalez during the closing remarks of the conference, uttered the phrase: "compliance is the name of the game." And it perfectly captured the mood across WERC: the stakes around H-1B compliance have never been higher.
With the Trump administration rolling out sweeping changes — from the proposed $100,000 H-1B fee to Project Firewall and beyond — employers and immigration teams alike are facing increasing exposure. The message is clear:
If you don’t know where your PAFs are,
If your LCA or PERM Notice of Filing (NOF) documentation isn’t complete and accessible,
If your posting strategy doesn’t reflect a remote or distributed workforce…
You're at risk.
What Immigration Teams Need to Prioritize Right Now
It wasn’t all high-level theory at WERC. There were plenty of tactical insights that global mobility and legal teams can act on today. Here are the top priorities that stood out:
Know Where Your PAFs Are — and What’s in Them
PAF violations aren’t just administrative slip-ups. They can lead to fines over $2,000 per violation, or worse, debarment from the H-1B program.
To reduce risk:
Conduct internal audits
Ensure PAFs are complete and compliant
Develop a system for storage, access, and destruction
Audits Are No Longer Hypothetical
With over $170 billion in federal funding tied to enforcement, government investigations are not a matter of if, but when.
So, companies should:
- Proactively self-audit their H-1B files.
2. Shore up policies and documentation now.
3. Adopt systems that can withstand scrutiny.
Digitize Your H-1B compliance Files
Paper files that aren't being managed are not just outdated — they’re a risk. Whether it’s LCA notices, PAFs, or recruitment records, documents should be accessible, backed up, and searchable, and only held onto for as long as necessary to avoid additional compliance risk exposure.
Even scanning them into shared drives is a step forward.
Accessibility Isn’t Optional
Both employees and auditors must be able to access LCA postings and PAFs as required. If they can’t find them, it’s as if they never existed — and you may be treated accordingly in an audit.
Remote Work Requires Remote Posting
One of the most misunderstood areas right now is how to post LCAs in a remote-first environment. Asking employees to print and tape up notices at home doesn’t cut it.
Electronic LCA posting is no longer just a convenience — it’s a necessity.
The Reality on the Ground
In one session, a question was posed to the audience: Do you know where your audit files are?
Less than half the room raised their hands.
That’s where we are.
And that’s exactly why we built LaborLess — and why we’ve been so busy since WERC.
How LaborLess Helps
LaborLess automates and modernizes LCA and PAF compliance, so immigration teams don’t have to scramble when the audit letter arrives.
With LaborLess, companies can:
Post LCAs electronically and on time,
Ensure distributed teams are properly notified,
Auto-generate and timestamp PAFs,
Manage retention and purge timelines in a compliant way,
And soon, we’ll be expanding to cover PERM Notice of Filing (NOF) compliance too!
So, if you’re an employer, mobility lead, or law firm partner trying to stay compliant in a post-WERC, mid-Project Firewall world, let’s talk.
👉 Visit www.laborless.io
📩 Or reach out directly if this is something your team is facing.