An H-2A filing has two Department of Labor numbers, and both can be looked up here, pending ones included.
| Number starts | What it is | Form |
|---|---|---|
H-300- | The H-2A application | ETA-9142A |
JO-A-300- | The job order filed with it | ETA-790/790A |
Paste either into the case status lookup. DOL is asked on the spot if the number isn't on file yet.
When DOL decides
The rule ties the decision to the first day of work, not to the filing date. The employer files at least 45 days before the work starts (20 CFR 655.130(b)). Within 7 days DOL sends either a notice of deficiency or a notice of acceptance (655.141, 655.143). It then decides no later than 30 days before the work begins (655.160). An application the employer had to modify isn't held to that date.
How close DOL runs to that, from its own files: of 43,600 H-2A certifications decided October 2024 to June 2026, half came 25 to 42 days before the work began, and 65% met the 30-day deadline. Tested on 32,539 later decisions, 51% landed inside the middle half the page draws. That's what a middle half should do.
What the statuses mean
| Status | Where the case is |
|---|---|
| IN PROCESS | Filed, not yet acted on |
| NOD ISSUED | DOL found a problem; the employer has 5 business days to fix it |
| ACCEPTED - PENDING RECRUITMENT | Accepted; the state agency and the employer are recruiting U.S. workers |
| FULL CERTIFICATION, PARTIAL CERTIFICATION | Certified for all, or some, of the workers asked for |
| ... - EXPIRED | Certified, now shown as expired. DOL doesn't define the label |
| DENIED, WITHDRAWN | Refused, or pulled by the employer |
A job order has its own words: APPROVED, AVAILABLE FOR 9142A LINKING while it waits for its application, and ARCHIVED once closed. Every one is defined, with its source, on the status dictionary.
DOL certified 97% of the 45,161 H-2A applications it decided from October 2024 to June 2026. H-2A, H-2B and CW-1 cases charts them week by week.
Get an email when it moves
The lookup page has a box for your address. You get an email at each status change, and for a year after the decision in case it's appealed or reopened. Every email has a one-click stop.
What this guide can't tell you
- Why DOL sent a notice of deficiency. The notice goes to the employer; the status only says one was sent.
- Anything after DOL. The I-129 petition is USCIS's and the visa is the consulate's, and neither shows here.
- Which workers are on a certification. DOL's files carry counts, never names.
