§501.6. Investigation authority of the Secretary. — Inbound Citations

(b) If an ES office or SWA has information that an employer participating in the ES may have committed fraud or misrepresentation in connection with its current or prior temporary labor certification or may not have complied with the terms of such certification, under, for example the H-2A and H-2B visa programs, SWA officials must notify the OFLC National Processing Center and the Wage and Hour Division of the alleged noncompliance as applicable under § 655.185 and 29 CFR 501.2, 501.6, 503.3, and 503.7. If the circumstances occurred within the previous 3 years, SWA officials must determine whether there is a basis under paragraph (a) of this section for which the SWA must initiate procedures for discontinuation of services.

(b) Upon a final decision reached pursuant to the administrative proceedings of subpart C of this part, including any timely appeal, or resulting from an enforcement action brought directly in a District Court of the United States finding a violation or violations of 20 CFR part 655, subpart B, or this part, the WHD Administrator may make a written demand on the surety for payment of any wages and benefits, including the assessment of interest, owed to an H-2A worker, a worker engaged in corresponding employment, or a U.S. worker improperly rejected or improperly laid off or displaced. The WHD Administrator shall have 3 years from the expiration of the labor certification, including any extension thereof, to make such written demand for payment on the surety. This 3-year period for making a demand on the surety is tolled by commencement of any enforcement action of the WHD Administrator pursuant to § 501.6, § 501.15, or § 501.16 or the commencement of any enforcement action in a District Court of the United States.

No person shall refuse to cooperate with any employee of the Secretary who is exercising or attempting to exercise this investigative or enforcement authority. As stated in §§ 501.6 and 501.19 of this part, a civil money penalty may be assessed for each failure to cooperate with an investigation, and other appropriate relief may be sought. In addition, the WHD shall report each such occurrence to ETA, and ETA may debar the employer from future certification. The WHD may also recommend to ETA that an existing certification be revoked. The taking of any one action shall not bar the taking of any additional action.