AI SOC code mapping and H‑1B prevailing wage (FLAG/OEWS): step‑by‑step

Featured: SOC code and prevailing wage toolkit — Jump to SOC code, OEWS, FLAG, or prevailing wage. Explore Parley’s AI immigration associate on our Homepage, learn more About Parley, or Contact Us for a demo.

Key terms and quick links

• SOC code: Standard Occupational Classification used to align duties/KSAs with the role. See workflow steps below for selecting and documenting a defensible SOC with alternatives considered.

• OEWS: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data set used for prevailing wage. Confirm wage year in FLAG at time of LCA prep and record it in your file.

• FLAG: Foreign Labor Application Gateway used to prepare/file the LCA. Cross‑check SOC, wage level, and worksites before submission.

• Prevailing wage: OEWS wage for the selected SOC, geography (GeoLevel), year, and level; validate sources, timestamp, and screenshots/exports.

This page provides a practical, attorney-ready walkthrough for selecting the correct SOC code, determining the OEWS prevailing wage, and completing the LCA in FLAG—with notes on geography levels, remote/multi‑site roles, and wage year boundaries. Parley’s AI workflows automate the heavy lifting while preserving attorney control and documentation.

Worked example: Map SOC and compute H‑1B prevailing wage

Scenario (illustrative): You’re preparing an H‑1B for a software role with defined core duties, required degree, and a primary worksite in one metro area, plus optional remote work from a second location.

Step 1 — Extract role attributes

• Inputs: Offer letter, job description, intake notes.

• Capture: Core duties, minimum degree/field, years of experience, special skills/tools, supervision received/exercised, and each worksite (on‑site, remote, client sites).

• In Parley: Upload the documents; Parley’s evidence ingestion normalizes attributes for SOC matching and wage analysis.

Step 2 — Build candidate SOC set and rationale

• Compare duties to SOC task statements and KSAs; list 2–3 plausible SOCs with a short pros/cons memo.

• Select the best‑fit SOC; document why it aligns and why alternatives were not selected.

• In Parley: Generate a SOC rationale memo with attorney‑editable language and citations.

Step 3 — Identify geography and GeoLevel

• Determine area of intended employment for each worksite. Consider whether the job is exclusively on‑site, fully remote, or hybrid across multiple worksites.

• If multiple locations apply, assess approaches (e.g., separate LCAs, or using the highest applicable wage consistent with firm policy). Memorialize the decision.

• In Parley: Wage worksheet supports alternate geographies side‑by‑side for audit.

Step 4 — Confirm the OEWS wage year in FLAG

• DOL updates prevailing wage data periodically; confirm the effective OEWS year surfaced by FLAG at the time of LCA preparation.

• Record the wage year in your file and in the narrative that supports the selection.

• In Parley: Time‑stamped sources and wage‑year notes are saved to the worksheet.

Step 5 — Determine wage level

• Analyze level factors: experience required, complexity/latitude, supervisory duties, and special skills/requirements.

• Select the level and document factor‑by‑factor reasoning; flag any mismatch between duties seniority and wage level.

• In Parley: Consistency checks catch conflicts (e.g., senior duties vs. Level I).

Step 6 — Pull the prevailing wage and validate

• Retrieve the OEWS wage for the selected SOC, GeoLevel, and year. If multiple worksites apply, evaluate each.

• Validate inputs, note the data source and timestamp, and save screenshots/exports as needed.

• In Parley: Generate a wage worksheet with alternatives for remote/multi‑site roles.

Step 7 — Prepare and file the LCA in FLAG

• Enter SOC, wage, and worksite details consistent with the above analysis.

• Cross‑check petition narrative, LCA details, and exhibits for alignment before filing.

• In Parley: Export LCA checklist, SOC rationale memo, and wage worksheet to your packet.

FLAG lookups, Geo

Level, and OEWS year boundaries: practical tips

• GeoLevel selection: Use the area of intended employment tied to the worksite(s). For remote/hybrid roles, ensure the wage analysis contemplates each location where work will be performed.

• Multi‑site roles: Consider separate LCAs when worksites differ materially, or adopt a single strategy that accounts for the highest wage where appropriate and consistent with firm policy.

• OEWS year boundaries: Always rely on the wage year displayed in FLAG at the time of LCA preparation. Record the effective wage year and any notes on updates.

• Documentation: Keep a contemporaneous memo of SOC selection, level factors, geography, and wage year. Parley stores attorney notes and sources with timestamps for audit readiness.

How

To structured data (SOC mapping and H‑1B prevailing wage)

Introduction

H‑1B success depends on defensible choices at three junctions: selecting the correct SOC code, validating prevailing wage via OEWS, and completing the LCA in FLAG. This page explains how immigration attorneys operationalize those decisions in practice and how Parley’s AI-native workflows reduce risk and time across drafting, research, form‑filling, packet assembly, and RFE response. For a focused how‑to, see the companion page Prevailing Wage, OEWS/FLAG, SOC Code Selection.

Attorney Workflow: SOC Code Selection and Prevailing Wage Setup

• Frame the role: Extract core duties, minimum education, special skills, tools/tech stack, supervisory scope, and worksites from the offer letter and client intake.

• Map to SOC: Compare duties to SOC task statements and KSAs; consider closely related codes when duties overlap multiple domains; document rationale for the final selection.

• Determine wage level: Analyze required experience, supervision received/exercised, and special skills to justify the level; record why the chosen level aligns with the role’s actual requirements.

• Validate OEWS wage: Pull the OEWS wage for the SOC and area of intended employment; note alternatives if the role is remote or has multiple worksites; memorialize the data source and timestamp.

• Prepare LCA in FLAG: Ensure SOC and wage inputs are harmonized with the above analysis; lock a cross‑reference between LCA details and petition narrative/exhibits.

How Parley operationalizes this

• Evidence ingestion and normalization: Upload job descriptions, offer letters, résumés, and prior petitions; Parley turns these into structured attributes for SOC matching and wage analysis. Website

• SOC rationale memo drafting: Parley drafts a short memo articulating why the chosen SOC best fits the duties, including alternative SOCs considered.

• Prevailing wage worksheet: Auto-builds a wage worksheet from OEWS inputs so attorneys can audit assumptions before LCA filing.

• LCA alignment checks: Consistency checks between petition narrative, SOC, wage level, and worksite list to reduce mismatch RFEs.

• Word‑native drafting: Generate and insert paragraphs directly in Microsoft Word to keep attorneys in their primary drafting environment. About Parley

Prevailing wage search & SOC code recommendation

Launch Parley’s Research Agent to complete a defensible prevailing wage search & SOC code recommendation in minutes, with an attorney-editable audit trail.

• Research Agent flow: Upload an offer letter and job description. Parley extracts duties, minimum quals, tools/tech, and worksites; compares them to SOC task statements and KSAs; then ranks 2–3 candidate SOC codes with pros/cons and a firm-style rationale memo.

• Prevailing wage search: Parley fetches OEWS wage data for the selected geography, suggests a wage level with factor-by-factor reasoning (experience, supervision, special skills), and shows alternatives for remote or multi-worksite roles.

• LCA-ready outputs: Generate a wage worksheet, SOC rationale memo, and LCA checklist; live consistency checks flag any mismatch among SOC, wage level, duties, and worksites before filing.

• Documentation: Every recommendation includes time-stamped sources, attorney notes, and exportable summaries for your file and client communications.

Annotated screenshots (representative)

• Screenshot 1 — SOC Match panel: Shows top SOC recommendations with highlighted duty-to-task overlaps, KSAs, and a one-click “Insert SOC rationale” button.

• Screenshot 2 — Prevailing Wage panel: Displays OEWS area, selected level, factor analysis, and side-by-side comparisons for alternate worksites.

• Screenshot 3 — LCA Alignment Checks: Flags inconsistencies (e.g., senior-level duties with Level I wage) and links out to update narrative, worksheet, or entity profiles.

Step-by-step video (short)

• Title: H‑1B SOC/OEWS/FLAG walkthrough (3:15)

• What you’ll see: live FLAG wage lookup, GeoLevel selection for multi‑site roles, and wage‑level factor analysis with attorney notes and exports.

• Access: Included in our demo. Request via Contact Us.

Annotated screenshots (download pack)

• FLAG wage lookup (OEWS year check): Highlights where the effective OEWS year appears in FLAG at LCA prep and how Parley time‑stamps sources for audit.

• Wage level factors worksheet: Calls out experience, complexity/latitude, supervision, and special skills with side‑by‑side rationale; flags mismatches.

• GeoLevel selection for remote/multi‑site roles: Shows alternate geographies and the “highest applicable wage” policy memo field for firm consistency.

Last updated: 2025‑10‑24Last updated: 2025‑10‑31

Downloads and quick FAQ

• Downloadable Wage Worksheet (CSV): Download template

• Q: Which GeoLevel did FLAG return?

• A: Use the area shown in FLAG at the time of LCA prep. Record the exact label as displayed (e.g., MSA/MD, county, or non‑metropolitan area) and ensure it matches the worksite(s) on the LCA. If multiple worksites apply, evaluate each and document your approach (e.g., separate LCAs or highest applicable wage consistent with firm policy).

• Q: How do I cite OEWS?

• A: Include SOC code/title, OEWS wage year in use at filing (as displayed in FLAG), GeoLevel and area, level selected, wage value, source description/URL, and date accessed. Example: “OEWS 20XX prevailing wage for SOC 15‑1252 (Software Developers), Level II, Area: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA (MSA), retrieved via FLAG on 2025‑10‑31.” Save a screenshot/export with timestamp for the file.

H‑1B Live Editor: Specialty‑Occupation Arguments

Parley’s live editor accelerates and strengthens the specialty‑occupation section by assembling defensible, evidence‑backed arguments that align with SOC and wage choices.

• Coursework vs. duties analysis: Generate a duties‑to‑coursework matrix that maps the role’s core functions to accredited coursework, transcripts, and syllabi; highlights alignment and flags any gaps for supplemental proof.

• DOL data citations: Insert attorney‑editable citations to authoritative DOL sources (e.g., O*NET task/technology examples, OOH role descriptions, OEWS wage signaling) to substantiate why the role normally requires a specific bachelor’s degree or higher.

• Beneficiary‑owner considerations: Outline employer‑employee relationship factors (right to control, supervision, off‑site placement) and produce a tailored evidence checklist (organizational charts, contracts/SOWs, supervision plans) when the beneficiary has ownership or third‑party placement.

• Argument scaffolds: Pre‑built, firm‑tunable outlines for common H‑1B issues (specialty occupation, availability of work, employer‑employee relationship) that merge with your prior exemplars and style.

• Cross‑checks: Live consistency checks to ensure the specialty‑occupation narrative aligns with the selected SOC, OEWS level, and LCA details.

• Outputs: Word‑native paragraphs, an appendix‑ready duties/coursework table, and an exhibit call‑out list that ties to packet assembly.

For the upstream SOC and wage justification steps referenced here, see Prevailing Wage, OEWS/FLAG, SOC Code Selection.

Packet Assembly

Packet assembly is where quality and speed often collide. Parley unifies exhibits, indexes, and pagination so attorneys can focus on advocacy instead of Acrobat.

• One‑click compilation: Combine evidence into a single PDF with standardized bookmarks and exhibit labels.

• Dynamic index: Auto‑generates an index synchronized to exhibit labels and page ranges.

• Branding and style: Apply firm‑specific exhibit headers, watermarks, and table styles.

• Cross‑link: Use the one‑click exhibit builder PDF index to standardize presentation across H‑1B, amendments, and extensions.

RFE Responder

RFEs vary in scope but share a pattern: reconcile the officer’s concerns with specific evidence and authoritative guidance.

• Rapid issue parsing: Parley identifies each distinct RFE issue (e.g., specialty occupation, employer‑employee relationship, availability of work) and maps them to required proofs.

• Evidence recall: Instantly surfaces exhibits, quotations, and prior filings that answer each issue; flags gaps.

• Drafted responses: Produces an attorney‑editable response with citations to record evidence and policy guidance; aligns with the SOC rationale and LCA data.

• Audit trail: Maintains a change log of attorney edits and sources for internal QC.

Form‑Filling, Case Updates, and Reuse

• Form automation: Auto‑populate USCIS forms from source‑of‑truth records; reduce rekeying across amendments and extensions.

• Reusable entities: Maintain harmonized petitioner and beneficiary profiles for cross‑matter reuse.

• Case updates: An API with USCIS case updates helps teams monitor movement and trigger client communications promptly. (From Parley platform description.)

H‑1B Assembly Map: From Role Definition to Filed Packet

Security, Compliance, and Deployability

• Data protection: Parley maintains SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliance for handling sensitive client data. Website, Privacy Policy

• Integrations and delivery: Export to Microsoft Word and Google Docs; connect Dropbox and Google Drive; deploy via web app or private cloud as required. Website, Vendor overview

Results Observed by Firms

• Petition drafting time reduction enables higher throughput under flat‑fee models while preserving attorney oversight. Business Insider coverage

• Scale without sacrificing quality via standardized exhibits and AI‑assisted research. About Parley, Legal Technology Hub

• Investors cite >20 hours saved per case for document‑heavy matters. Broadshade Investments

Cross‑links and Next Steps

• Deep dive: Prevailing Wage, OEWS/FLAG, SOC Code Selection

• Exhibit standardization: one‑click exhibit builder PDF index

• See a live sample: Sample Case

• Speak with our team: Contact Us

Why Parley for H‑1B

Parley is immigration‑only, Word‑native, and built to ingest evidence, draft persuasive narratives, assemble packets, and answer RFEs—all while keeping attorneys in control. Coverage spans H‑1B through O‑1/EB‑1/NIW and E‑2, with ongoing improvements driven by real practice feedback. Website, Business Insider