SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On December 21, 2023, ETA published an RFI titled, “Labor Certification for Permanent Employment of Foreign Workers in the United States; Modernizing Schedule A To Include Consideration of Additional Occupations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Non-STEM Occupations.” 88 FR 88290. In the RFI, ETA invited public comment on “evaluating the utility of expanding Schedule A to include STEM occupations, the Department invites the public to provide input on the appropriate data sources and methods for determining whether labor shortages exist, whether Schedule A should be used to alleviate any labor shortages in STEM occupations should it be determined from these data sources and methods that such shortages exist, and if so, how the Department could establish a reliable, objective, and transparent methodology for identifying STEM occupations that are experiencing labor shortages.” The RFI further invited the public to answer a number of questions in their responses that would assist ETA in making this evaluation.

The public comment period for this RFI was to conclude on February 20, 2024, 60 days after publication of the RFI. To date, ETA has received a very limited number of comments, many of which do not provide the information requested or address the questions raised in the RFI. In addition, ETA received a request from a stakeholder for an extension of the public comment period (Document ID ETA-2023-0006-0035). ETA agrees to an extension of the public comment period and believes that an extension until May 13, 2024, is sufficient and appropriate to balance the ( printed page 11789) agency's need for timely and robust input and to satisfy the stakeholder's request. Accordingly, the comment period for this RFI is being extended and will now conclude on May 13, 2024.