(a) Waiver of PWD requirement prior to application filing. The CO may waive the requirement to obtain a PWD, as required under §655.410(c), prior to filing a CW-1 Application for Temporary Employment Certification for employers that have good and substantial cause, provided that the CO has sufficient time to thoroughly test the labor market and to make a final determination as required by §655.450. The requirement to obtain a PWD prior to filing the CW-1 Application for Temporary Employment Certification, under §655.410(c), is the only provision of this subpart which will be waived under these emergency situation procedures.

(b) Employer requirements. The employer requesting a waiver of the requirement to obtain a PWD must submit to the NPC a completed Application for Prevailing Wage Determination, a completed CW-1 Application for Temporary Employment Certification, and a statement justifying the waiver request. The employer's waiver request must include detailed information describing the good and substantial cause that has necessitated the waiver request. Good and substantial cause may include, but is not limited to, the substantial loss of U.S. workers due to an Act of God, or similar unforeseeable man-made catastrophic events (such as a hazardous materials emergency or government-controlled flooding), unforeseeable changes in market conditions, pandemic health issues, or similar conditions that are wholly outside of the employer's control. Issues related to the CW-1 visa cap are not good and substantial cause for a waiver of the filing requirements. Further, a denial of a previously submitted CW-1 Application for Temporary Employment Certification or CW-1 petition with USCIS does not constitute good and substantial cause necessitating a waiver under this section.

(c) Processing of emergency applications. The CO will process the emergency CW-1 Application for Temporary Employment Certification, including the Application for Prevailing Wage Determination for the CW-1 Program, in a manner consistent with the provisions of this subpart and make a determination in accordance with §655.450. The CO will notify the employer, if the application cannot be processed because, pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the request for emergency filing was not justified and/or the filing does not meet the requirements set forth in this subpart.