# 20 C.F.R. § 656.20 (2026): Audit procedures

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_20

## Section

- **Citation:** 20 C.F.R. § 656.20 (2026)
- **Heading:** Audit procedures
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** Title 20 CFR: Employees' Benefits / Chapter V: EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR / Part 656: LABOR CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT OF ALIENS IN THE UNITED STATES / Subpart C: Labor Certification Process / § 656.20: § 656.20   Audit procedures.

## Text

(a) Review of the labor certification application may lead to an audit of the application. Additionally, certain applications may be selected randomly for audit and quality control purposes. If an application is selected for audit, the Certifying Officer shall issue an audit letter. The audit letter will:
(1) State the documentation that must be submitted by the employer;
(2) Specify a date, 30 days from the date of the audit letter, by which the required documentation must be submitted; and
(3) Advise that if the required documentation has not been sent by the date specified the application will be denied.
(i) Failure to provide documentation in a timely manner constitutes a refusal to exhaust available administrative remedies; and
(ii) The administrative-judicial review procedure provided in § 656.26 is not available.
(b) A substantial failure by the employer to provide required documentation will result in that application being denied under § 656.24 and may result in a determination by the Certifying Officer pursuant to § 656.24 to require the employer to conduct supervised recruitment under § 656.21 in future filings of labor certification applications for up to 2 years.
(c) The Certifying Officer may in his or her discretion provide one extension, of up to 30 days, to the 30 days specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(d) Before making a final determination in accordance with the standards in § 656.24, whether in course of an audit or otherwise, the Certifying Officer may:
(1) Request supplemental information and/or documentation; or
(2) Require the employer to conduct supervised recruitment under § 656.21.
[69 FR 77386, Dec. 27, 2004, as amended at 71 FR 35523, June 21, 2006]

## Nearby sections

- [20 C.F.R. § 656.10 (2026) § 656.10   General instructions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_10.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.11 (2026) § 656.11   Substitutions and modifications to applications.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_11.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.12 (2026) § 656.12   Improper commerce and payment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_12.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.15 (2026) § 656.15   Applications for labor certification for Schedule A occupations.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_15.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.16 (2026) § 656.16   Labor certification applications for sheepherders.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_16.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.17 (2026) § 656.17   Basic labor certification process.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_17.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.18 (2026) § 656.18   Optional special recruitment and documentation procedures for college and university teachers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_18.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.19 (2026) § 656.19   Live-in household domestic service workers.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_19.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.20 (2026) § 656.20   Audit procedures.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_20.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.21 (2026) § 656.21   Supervised recruitment.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_21.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.24 (2026) § 656.24   Labor certification determinations.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_24.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.26 (2026) § 656.26   Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals review of denials of labor certification.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_26.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.27 (2026) § 656.27   Consideration by and decisions of the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_27.md)
- [20 C.F.R. § 656.30 (2026) § 656.30   Validity of and invalidation of labor certifications.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_30.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/CFR_T20_P656_S656_20. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.