Temporary Labor Certification for Foreign Workers (17.273)
Temporary Labor Certification for Foreign Workers (Assistance Listing 17.273) is run by the Employment and Training Administration, part of the Department of Labor. It awarded $111 million in 272 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $406,684 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $336,257. Half of the 272 awards fell between $174,178 and $503,226, and they ranged from $5,000 to $2.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$111 million
- Grant awards272
- Typical award$336,257
- Awarded in FY 2025$23.2 million
- Size rank782 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceFormula grants, provision of specialized services, federal employment
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $20.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $23.2 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 782nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 65% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 55 states and territories.
What the program funds
To ensure that the admission of foreign workers into the United States does not adversely affect the wages, working conditions, and employment opportunities of U.S. workers.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Any U.S. employer that is unable to find a qualified and available U.S. worker and seeks to hire a foreign worker to fill a given temporary job opportunity is eligible to file an application for temporary labor certification with the Department of Labor (DOL) DOL provides annual grants to State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) in 55 states and U.S. territories to support required state-level foreign labor certification activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, reviewing and placing job orders to recruit U.S. workers; conducting inspections of employer-provided housing for H-2A agricultural workers; assisting employers in the effective recruitment of U.S. workers; performing prevailing practice and wage surveys used to set the wages and working standards for occupations within the state; and conducting post-certification site visits to support employer compliance with H-2A and H-2B program requirements.
What the money can and cannot pay for
U.S. employers may, upon meeting certain conditions of employment and regulatory immigration requirements, use this assistance to seek the admission of foreign workers for temporary positions in the United States, provided that the employment of such foreign workers does not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly-employed U.S. workers. This assistance may also be used by States and U.S. Territories to conduct required activities under the Immigration and Nationality Act in support of the foreign labor certification programs. These activities include, but are not limited to, reviewing and placing job orders to recruit U.S. workers; assisting employers in the effective recruitment of U.S. workers; conducting safety inspections of employer-provided housing for H-2A agricultural workers; performing prevailing practice and wage surveys used to set the wages and working standards for occupations within the state; and conducting post-certification site visits to support employer compliance with H-2A and H-2B program requirements.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Deadlines do not apply
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Temporary Labor Certification for Foreign Workers (17.273) awarded $111 million across 272 grant awards, an average of $406,684 per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 79% of the money.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 205 | $87.3 million | 79% |
| Other | 67 | $23.3 million | 21% |
By state
38 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5 | $10.6 million |
| New York | 5 | $8.6 million |
| Florida | 5 | $5.5 million |
| North Carolina | 5 | $4.9 million |
| Texas | 5 | $4.7 million |
| Georgia | 6 | $3.9 million |
| Louisiana | 5 | $3.4 million |
| Washington | 5 | $3.2 million |
| Kentucky | 5 | $3.0 million |
| Virginia | 5 | $2.9 million |
| Michigan | 5 | $2.9 million |
| Idaho | 5 | $2.8 million |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | $2.8 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $2.5 million |
| New Jersey | 5 | $2.5 million |
| Colorado | 5 | $2.2 million |
| Montana | 5 | $2.2 million |
| North Dakota | 5 | $2.2 million |
| Illinois | 5 | $2.2 million |
| Ohio | 5 | $2.1 million |
| Tennessee | 5 | $2.1 million |
| Oregon | 5 | $2.0 million |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $2.0 million |
| Mississippi | 5 | $1.9 million |
| Maine | 5 | $1.8 million |
| Iowa | 5 | $1.8 million |
| South Carolina | 5 | $1.7 million |
| Utah | 8 | $1.6 million |
| Arizona | 5 | $1.6 million |
| Arkansas | 5 | $1.6 million |
| Nevada | 5 | $1.5 million |
| Connecticut | 5 | $1.4 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $1.3 million |
| Missouri | 5 | $1.2 million |
| South Dakota | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Kansas | 5 | $1.1 million |
| Nebraska | 5 | $1.1 million |
| Wisconsin | 5 | $1.1 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $956,790 |
| Indiana | 5 | $944,723 |
| Vermont | 5 | $865,954 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | $864,404 |
| Wyoming | 5 | $828,442 |
| New Mexico | 5 | $579,679 |
| Alaska | 5 | $478,956 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | $431,506 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | $406,904 |
| Hawaii | 5 | $307,115 |
| West Virginia | 5 | $302,885 |
| Delaware | 5 | $266,093 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 5 | $258,893 |
| Puerto Rico | 5 | $194,444 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | $10,963 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 5 | $5,430 |
| Guam | 1 | $3,680 |