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H-2A worker abandonment and termination reporting
Summary ETA directed H-2A employers to notify the listed state workforce agency office in writing within two business days of a worker's termination or of discovering abandonment. It told state agencies to explain this responsibility to employers and replaced GAL 1-01. ETA now lists the advisory as Canceled; Change 1 later updated its reporting guidance and is also canceled.
Document
Federal guidance
Agency
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Document number
TEGL No. 21-01
Date issued
April 24, 2002
Status
Withdrawn
ETA labels this base advisory Canceled as of October 25, 2026. Change 1 updated its notification guidance without expressly rescinding the base letter; ETA also labels Change 1 Canceled.
Status last verified October 25, 2026
Is this still the rule?
This document has been withdrawn. Ezel checks what federal law requires today, under current federal labor law, and answers your situation with citations.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.
Signed letter
Official PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2002/TEGL21-01.pdf
CLASSIFICATION
Employment and Training Administration H-2A
Advisory System
U.S. Department of Labor CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
Washington, D.C. 20210 OWS
DATE
April 24, 2002
TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 21-01
TO: ALL STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
ALL STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
ALL STATE WORKER ADJUSTMENT LIAISONS
ALL ONE-STOP CENTER SYSTEM LEADS
/S/
FROM: EMILY STOVER DeROCCO
Assistant Secretary
SUBJECT: Notification Regarding Worker Abandonment, Rejection or Termination from
H-2A Temporary Agricultural Employment
1. Purpose. To rescind General Administration Letter (GAL) No. 1-01 because it did not include all of
the pertinent regulatory references and to provide additional regulation citations, policy clarification and
procedural guidance for the notification process between employers and the State Workforce Agencies
(SWAs) regarding worker abandonment, rejection or termination from H-2A temporary agricultural
employment.
2. References. 20 C.F.R. Part 655, Subpart B; 20 C.F.R. ' 655.102(b)(11); and 20 C.F.R.'
655.103 (c).
3. Background. The H-2A regulations at 20 C.F.R. 655.103(c) state: “No U.S. worker will be
rejected for or terminated from employment for other than a lawful related reason, and notification of all
rejections or terminations shall be made to the local office.” Additionally, the regulations at 20 C.F.R.
655.102 (b)(11) state: “If the worker voluntarily abandons employment
RESCISSIONS EXPIRATION DATE
GAL NO. 1-01
Continuing
2
before the end of the contract period, or is terminated for cause, and the employer notifies the local
office of such abandonment or termination, the employer will not be responsible for providing or paying
for the subsequent transportation and subsistence expenses of any worker for whom the employer
would have otherwise been required to pay such expenses under paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section,
and that worker is not entitled to the Athree-fourths guarantee@ (see paragraph (b)(6) of this section).”
Issues have arisen with regard to the timing and location of such notification.
4. Policy Clarification/Procedural Guidance. In the event an employer terminates a worker(s), the
employer will notify the appropriate SWA offices listed in the attachment to this TEGL in writing within
two (2) business days of the termination or, in the case of abandonment, within two (2) business days of
discovering abandonment. DOL has determined that two (2) business days is appropriate and should
not place an unnecessary burden on the employer, since the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) generally requires that the employer notify the INS within 24 hours of the foreign worker leaving
employment.
5. Action Required. SWAs shall communicate to the employer community their responsibility for the
timely notification to the local office of worker abandonment or termination from H-2A employment.
6. Inquiries. H-2A employer notification procedural questions should be directed to the appropriate
ETA regional office.
7. Attachment. GAL 1-02 Designation of Centralized Location Within Each State
for the Processing of H-2A Applications and H-2A State Workforce Agency Offices.
Attachment: GAL No. 1-02
Official PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2002/TEGL21-01_AttachGAL1-02.pdf
CLASSIFICATION
U. S. Department of Labor H-2A
Employment and Training Administration CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
Washington, D.C. 20210 OWS
DATE
November 13, 2001
DIRECTIVE: GENERAL ADMINISTRATION LETTER NO. 1-02
TO: ALL STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
/S/
FROM: EMILY STOVER DeROCCO
Assistant Secretary
SUBJECT: Designation of Centralized Location Within Each State for the
Processing of H-2A Applications.
1. Purpose. To transmit the list of the centralized locations for the processing of H-2A labor
certification requests.
2. References. 20 C.F.R. Part 655, Subpart B; 20 C.F.R. ' 655.101 (a).
3. Background. As a result of funding reductions and streamlining measures which have occurred
throughout the years, most states have transferred the individual Alocal office@ H-2A functions to a
centralized location within the state, to better coordinate the programmatic efforts between the state and
the regional office and to expedite the H-2A certification process.
The H-2A regulations at 20 C.F.R. ' 655.101(a) require the simultaneous submission of an
H-2A application to the Department of Labor (DOL) Regional Office and the local office serving the
area of intended employment. While most of the functions of the H-2A process are actually
administered by one or more state-level office(s), the regulations frequently refer to the local offices of
the State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) when referring to the recruitment process of the application.
Most, if not all, of the correspondence that occurs during the submission of the application and the
recruitment process is actually between the employer and a Alocal office@ (centralized location within
each state).
RESCISSIONS EXPIRATION DATE
GAL No. 2-01
October 31, 2003
2
4. Action Required. SWAs are required to assure that employers using the H-2A program in
their areas are aware of the specific location where filing and notification must occur. These centralized
locations within each state may be found on the Office of Workforce Security website at
www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov . SWAs are required to notify the appropriate regional office of
any changes to their centralized location so this listing may be updated periodically.
5. Inquiries. Address questions and inquiries to Charlene Giles at (202) 693-2950.
6. Attachment. H-2A State Workforce Agency Offices
Attachment: H-2A State Workforce Agency Offices
Official PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2002/TEGL21-01_AttachH-2A.pdf
H-2A STATE WORKFORCE AGENCY OFFICES:
REGION I - BOSTON
CONNECTICUT
Department of Labor
200 Folly Brook Blvd. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Wethersfield, CT 06109 Employment Security
PHONE: (860) 263-6020 32 South Main Street, Room 204
Concord, NH 03301
PHONE: (603) 228-4083
MAINE
Department of Labor
45 State House Station RHODE ISLAND
Augusta, ME 04333-0045 Department of Labor and Training
PHONE: (207) 624-6487 Center General Complex, Building 73
1511 Pontiac Ave.
Cranston, RI 02920
MASSACHUSETTS PHONE: (401) 462-8813
Division of Employment and Training
Charles F. Hurley ES Building VERMONT
Boston, MA 02114 Department of Employment and Training
PHONE: (617) 626-5358 700 Exchange St., Suite 106
Middlebury, VT 05753-1529
PHONE: (802) 388-5716
REGION I - NEW YORK
NEW JERSEY
Department of Labor
Labor Building, 2nd Floor
John Fitch Plaza
Trenton, NJ 08625
PHONE: (609) 777-1838
NEW YORK
Department of Labor
State Campus Office Bldg #12, Rm 282
Albany, NY 12240
PHONE: (518) 457-6798
PUERTO RICO
Department of Labor and Human Resources
Metro Center Building
Mayaguez St. Corner Cidra
San Juan, PR 00918
PHONE: (787) 754-5151 ext 2292
REGION II - PHILADELPHIA
DELAWARE
Department of Labor
Division of Employment and Training Virginia Employment Commission
4425 N. Market Street 5060 Valley View Blvd
Wilmington, DE 19809-0828 Roanoke, VA 24012
PHONE: (302)761-8116 PHONE: (540) 561-7489
MARYLAND Virginia Employment Commission
Department of Labor, Licensing and 165 Deer Run Road
Regulation Danville, VA 24540
Suite 100 PHONE: (804) 791-5291
14 North Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740 Virginia Employment Commission
PHONE: (301) 393-8218 25036 Lankford Highway, Unit 16
Onley, VA 23418
PENNSYLVANIA PHONE: (757) 302-2029
Department of Labor and Industry
Bureau of Employer and Career Services Virginia Employment Commission
7th and Forster Streets, 13th Floor 910 N. Mecklenburg Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17120 South Hill, VA 23970
PHONE: (717) 787-6521 PHONE: (804) 447-8700
VIRGINIA Virginia Employment Commission
Virginia Employment Commission 100 Premier Place
703 E. Main Street Winchester, VA 22602
Richmond, VA 23219 PHONE: (540) 722-3415
PHONE: (804) 786-8714
Virginia Employment Commission
Virginia Employment Commission 400 Preston Avenue
192 Bristol East Road Charlottesville, VA 22902
Bristol, VA 24201 PHONE: (804) 984-7630
PHONE: (540) 642-7350
Virginia Employment Commission
Virginia Employment Commission 14243 Historyland Highway
5240 Oaklawn Boulevard Warsaw, VA 22572
Hopewell, VA 23860 PHONE: (804) 333-3675
PHONE: (804) 541-6503
WEST VIRGINIA
Bureau of Employment Programs
112 California Avenue
Charleston, WV 25305
PHONE: (304) 558-2850
REGION III - ATLANTA
ALABAMA
Department of Industrial Relations MISSISSIPPI
649 Monroe Street Employment Security Commission
Room 2805 Programs and Methods Department
Montgomery, AL 36131 1520 West Capitol Street
PHONE: (334) 242-8020 Jackson, MS 39203
PHONE: (601) 961-7529
FLORIDA
Agency for Workforce Innovation NORTH CAROLINA
Alien Certification Unit Employment Security Commission
325 John Knox Road, Building L Applicant Services Unit
Tallahassee, FL 32303 700 Wade Avenue
PHONE: (850) 921-3830 or 3367 Raleigh, NC 27605
PHONE: (919) 733-3210
GEORGIA
Department of Labor SOUTH CAROLINA
148 Andrew Young International Blvd. Employment Security Commission
Suite 450 Alien Labor Certification Unit
Atlanta, GA 30303 701 Hampton Street
PHONE: (404) 656-3164 Columbia, SC 29202
PHONE: (803) 737-2599
KENTUCKY
Department of Employment Services TENNESSEE
275 East Main Street, 2nd Floor West Department of Labor and
Frankfort, KY 40621 Workforce Development
PHONE: (502) 564-7456 Davy Crockett Tower - 11th Floor
500 James Robertson Pkwy.
Nashville, TN 37245-1200
PHONE: (615) 741-1977
REGION IV - DALLAS
ARKANSAS
Employment Security Department OKLAHOMA
#1 Pershing Circle Employment Security Commission
Little Rock, AR 72114 Will Rogers Memorial Office Building
PHONE: (501) 682-3129 4th Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2003
PHONE: (405) 557-7126
COLORADO
Department of Labor & Employment SOUTH DAKOTA
Tower 2, Suite 400 Department of Labor
1515 Arapahoe St. 700 Governors Drive
Denver, CO 80202-2117 Pierre, SD 57501
(303) 620-4202 PHONE: (605) 773-3101
LOUISIANA
Department of Labor TEXAS
Alien Labor Certification Unit Texas Workforce Commission
Third Floor Annex Alien Labor Certification Unit
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094 101 E. 15th Street, Room 424T
PHONE: (225) 342-3280 Austin, Texas 78778
PHONE: (512) 463-2977
MONTANA
Department of Labor & Industry UTAH
1327 Lockey Street Department of Workforce Services
Helena, MT 59601 Service Delivery Support
PHONE: (406) 444-3480 140 E. 300 Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
PHONE: (801) 526-9459
NEW MEXICO
Department of Labor WYOMING
401 Broadway, NE Department of Employment
Albuquerque, NM 87103 1703 Edinburgh Street
PHONE: (505) 841-8878 Rawlins, WY 82301-0070
PHONE: (307) 324-3485
NORTH DAKOTA
Job Service of North Dakota
3416 N. Broadway
Minot, ND 57502-1727
PHONE: (701) 857-7557
REGION V - CHICAGO
ILLINOIS
Department of Employment Security MINNESOTA
401 South State Street, 7th Floor Department of Economic Security
Chicago, IL 60605 390 N. Robert St.
PHONE: (312) 793-6807 Minneapolis, MN 55101
PHONE: (651) 296-2949
INDIANA
Department of Workforce Development MISSOURI
10 N. Senate Ave. Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Indianapolis, IN 46204 Division of Employment Security
PHONE: (317) 232-7187 421 E. Dunklin Street
Jefferson City, MO 65102
PHONE: (573) 751-3773
IOWA NEBRASKA
Iowa Workforce Development Workforce Development - Department of
150 Des Moines St. Labor
Des Moines, IA 50309-5563 550 S. 16th Street
PHONE: (515) 281-9336 Lincoln, NE 68509-4600
PHONE: (402) 471-9000
KANSAS OHIO
Department of Human Resources Department of Jobs & Family Services
Division of Employment and Training 145 S. Front Street
401 Southwest Topeka Blvd. Columbus, OH 43216
Topeka, KS 66603-3182 PHONE: (614) 644-7288
PHONE: (785) 296-5014
MICHIGAN WISCONSIN
Department of Career Development Department of Workforce Development
7310 Woodward Ave. 201 E. Washington Ave., Room G-200
Detroit, MI 48202 Madison, WI 53707
PHONE: (313) 876-5284 PHONE: (608) 266-0017
REGION VI - SAN FRANCISCO
ALASKA NEVADA
Department of Labor & Workforce Department of Employment, Training &
Development Rehabilitation
Employment Service/FLC 500 East 3rd Street
1111 West 8th Street, Room 210 Carson City, NV 89713
Juneau, AK 99801 PHONE: (775) 684-0415
PHONE: (907) 465-5956
ARIZONA WASHINGTON
Department of Economic Security Employment Security Department
1789 West Jefferson Work Source Operations Division
Phoenix, AZ 85005 605 Woodland Square Loop SE
PHONE: (602) 542-6515 Olympia, WA 98507-9046
PHONE: (360) 438-3285
CALIFORNIA
Employment Development Department
Agriculture Reporting Unit
800 Capitol Mall, MIC 37
Sacramento, CA 94280-0001
PHONE: (916) 654-9270
HAWAII
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Workforce Development Division
830 Punchbowl Street Room 329
Honolulu, HI 96813
PHONE: (808) 586-8820
IDAHO
Idaho Department of Labor
317 W. Main Street
Boise, ID 83735
(208) 334-6139
OREGON
Oregon Employment Department
875 Union Street NE, Rm. 201
Salem, OR 97311
(503) 947-1679
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