Overview

Parley’s AI Research Agent is purpose-built for immigration professionals, empowering attorneys to automate the identification, organization, and incorporation of critical external data—such as media metrics, salary benchmarks, and industry statistics—into USCIS-ready filings. This methodology is at the core of Parley’s value proposition: faster, more accurate visa petitions driven by trustworthy, well-cited evidence, with compliance and attorney review built in.

Types of Data Collected

Parley’s AI Research Agent is engineered to pull in:

• Media Metrics

• Article publication details (publisher, date, author)

• Circulation and viewership numbers

• Impact factor or Alexa rankings of online publications

• Salary Benchmarks

• Prevailing wages (e.g., Department of Labor, occupational databases)

• Industry salary surveys (referenced from government or reputable third parties)

• Regional salary data relevant to the applicant role and geography

• Industry Data

• Market size/market share information

• Company rankings

• Notable industry awards and honors

• Organizational statistics from professional bodies

Data is automatically surfaced in the context of the visa petition, presented for attorney review before inclusion.

For H‑1B Attorneys: Prevailing Wage Precision

Parley’s AI Research Agent is tuned for H‑1B wage evidence so your drafts reflect how wages are actually evaluated and cited:

• OEWS wage year alignment: Citations are time-stamped to the active OEWS wage year (typically July 1–June 30), with clear indication if data is from a prior year upon request.

• FLAG GeoLevel context: The geographic basis used (e.g., MSA vs. balance of state) is captured and the FLAG “GeoLevel” label is recorded for auditability and RFE-ready clarity.

• SOC mapping checks: Job descriptions are mapped to SOC/O*NET with rationale, helping support prevailing wage selection and wage level justification.

• Boundary awareness: The system alerts when planned filing dates span a wage‑year boundary so teams can decide whether to refresh citations.

Want our H‑1B workflows and prevailing wage checklist? Book a demo or email us:

• Book a demo: https://calendly.com/philip-parley/parley-demo

• Email: [email protected]

Authoritative Guidance Anchors and H‑1B Example

Parley’s research flows are aligned to authoritative guidance so attorneys can trace each citation back to agency sources:

• USCIS Policy Manual anchor for EB categories: Volume 6, Part F (Employment-Based Classifications) — used for EB‑1/EB‑2/NIW drafting references and evidence framing. See USCIS Policy Manual in References below.

• Prevailing wage anchor for H‑1B: Department of Labor’s Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) prevailing wage determinations and OEWS data series, with GeoLevel captured for audit readiness. See Department of Labor and BLS resources in References below.

H‑1B Prevailing Wage: OEWS/Geo

Level Example

Copy‑pasteable FLAG/OEWS citation block template

Prevailing Wage Citation (FLAG/OEWS)
Occupation (SOC): [SOC code] — [SOC title]
Worksite & GeoLevel: [Area name/state] — [GeoLevel label]
Wage Year: [OEWS yyyy–yyyy]
Wage Level: [I–IV]
Hourly: $[rate] | Annual: $[amount]
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OEWS via FLAG
Accessed: [Month yyyy]
Mapping Rationale: [Brief SOC mapping and level justification]

Filled example — San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA (MSA)

Prevailing Wage Citation (FLAG/OEWS)
Occupation (SOC): 15-1252 — Software Developers, Applications
Worksite & GeoLevel: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA — MSA
Wage Year: 2024–2025
Wage Level: II
Hourly: n/a (annual cited by FLAG) | Annual: $139,006
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OEWS via FLAG
Accessed: May 2025
Mapping Rationale: Duties align with SOC 15‑1252; Level II selected based on supervised experience and moderate complexity per employer requirements.

Inline example (for briefs/letters):

“Position: Software Developers, Applications (SOC 15‑1252). Proposed worksite: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA (MSA). Prevailing wage: Level II, $139,006 (OEWS 2024–2025 wage year; GeoLevel: MSA; data retrieved via DOL’s FLAG; accessed May 2025). Rationale: duties mapped to SOC 15‑1252; wage year alignment confirmed within filing window.”

Verification tips recorded by Parley’s Research Agent:

• Confirm GeoLevel shown in FLAG (e.g., MSA vs. Balance of State) and store the exact label.

• Note the active OEWS wage year (typically Jul 1–Jun 30) and refresh if a filing crosses the boundary.

• Save SOC code/title, wage level, GeoLevel, wage year, and access date for exhibits and RFE response readiness. Draft output example tying OEWS year and GeoLevel to DOL sources:

  “Position: Software Developers, Applications (SOC 15‑1252). Proposed worksite: San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA (MSA). Prevailing wage: Level II, $139,006 (OEWS 2024–2025 wage year; GeoLevel: MSA; data retrieved via DOL’s FLAG; accessed May 2025). Rationale: duties mapped to SOC 15‑1252; wage year alignment confirmed within filing window.”

All underlying lookups store: SOC code and title, OEWS wage year, wage level, GeoLevel (e.g., MSA vs. balance of state), and capture date, supporting RFE responses and internal audits.

How we cite Policy and Wage Sources in drafts

• EB petitions: USCIS Policy Manual Volume 6, Part F sections are referenced inline when criteria are discussed (e.g., evidentiary prongs), with a short parenthetical and a reference entry to the USCIS Policy Manual.

• H‑1B wages: citations note OEWS wage year, GeoLevel, SOC mapping rationale, and DOL attribution (retrieved via FLAG), with collection details logged in the exhibits index.

Mini How‑To (JSON‑LD): Find prevailing wage in FLAG

{
 "@context": "https://schema.org",
 "@type": "HowTo",
 "name": "Find prevailing wage in FLAG",
 "description": "Steps an attorney/paralegal can follow to retrieve H-1B prevailing wage details using DOL’s FLAG portal and record OEWS year/GeoLevel for citations.",
 "step": [
 {
 "@type": "HowToStep",
 "name": "Open the DOL FLAG portal",
 "text": "Navigate to the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) and select the prevailing wage lookup or LCA-relevant wage resource."
 },
 {
 "@type": "HowToStep",
 "name": "Select occupation and area",
 "text": "Enter SOC code and occupation title. Choose the worksite area (MSA or balance of state) and confirm the displayed GeoLevel."
 },
 {
 "@type": "HowToStep",
 "name": "Confirm OEWS wage year",
 "text": "Verify the active OEWS wage year (typically July 1–June 30). If filing dates cross a boundary, note whether an update is required."
 },
 {
 "@type": "HowToStep",
 "name": "Choose wage level",
 "text": "Review job duties/requirements to select the appropriate wage level (I–IV). Record the hourly and annual figures."
 },
 {
 "@type": "HowToStep",
 "name": "Record citation details",
 "text": "Store SOC, occupation title, wage level, OEWS year, GeoLevel, source attribution (DOL via FLAG), and the access date for inclusion in the petition and exhibits."
 }
 ]
}

Source Vetting & Curation

Parley's AI prioritizes trust and citation integrity. Evidence is only incorporated from sources meeting rigorous standards, including but not limited to:

1. Primary Data Sources

2. U.S. government data (e.g., Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor, USCIS)

3. Major global organizations (e.g., World Bank, OECD)

4. Reputable News Publications

5. Outlets with verifiable circulation and established editorial controls (e.g., The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Verge, Fast Company, TechCrunch)

6. Online news sources that allow for viewership verification via industry metrics (e.g., traffic ranks from SimilarWeb/Alexa)

7. Industry Publications & Professional Associations

8. Specialty journals and associations relevant to applicant expertise

9. Databases tracking industry-specific milestones and awards

10. Third-Party Salary & Market Data

11. Reports from Glassdoor, Payscale, Robert Half, and others, with explicit citations

12. Regional labor departments’ published wage information

13. Company Data

14. Official company press releases

15. Reports published by third-party analytics firms (when properly cited)

Exclusion Criteria

• Anonymous sources and unverifiable blogs are disregarded

• User-edited wikis are not primary sources

• Outdated/archived information missing publication date is excluded

Evidence Collection & Citation Workflow

1. Automated Retrieval

2. The AI scans applicant evidence and identifies gaps requiring external validation (e.g., media mentions or prevailing wages).

3. Searches are conducted using pre-built queries/filters for government, news, and industry sources.

4. Citation Extraction & Formatting

5. When a data point is gathered, metadata (publication/source, author, date, URL) is extracted and stored.

6. In the drafted document, claims (e.g., "featured in high-circulation media") are followed by inline citations.

7. Attorney Review

8. All automatically sourced data and citations are surfaced within the drafting UI for manual attorney approval, editing, or exclusion.

9. Any questionable or ambiguous sources are flagged.

10. Citation Standards

11. Parley follows a Bluebook-like format for official filings. Each citation includes: publisher, date, article title, URL (if online), access date, and, where applicable, circulation/impact stats.

12. Automated PDF Assembly

13. All cited external documents are appended as exhibits in a single, auto-compiled PDF, indexed and cross-referenced in the table of contents for each petition.

Transparency & Source Linking

Each citation in Parley’s generated output is

• Fully visible to the attorney and staff;

• Hyperlinked (when permitted by the court/agency);

• Accompanied by a snapshot or PDF capture for the official record, ensuring compliance even if web links change ("permalink" feature).

Privacy, Compliance & Security

• Client Data Protection: Parley is SOC2 Type 2 and GDPR certified (details). Attorney-client work product is never exposed to third parties.

• Source Data Handling: Only public web data or explicitly attorney-uploaded information is processed for external research. Proprietary/private information is not scraped or ingested as external evidence.

• Evidence Retention: All collected data is retained only for case duration unless otherwise required by the client, in accordance with Parley’s Privacy Policy.

Example Outputs & Use Cases

Example 1: Media Metrics

Draft Output:

“Dr. X’s work has been featured in Forbes (circulation: 6.8M, source), and The Verge (Alexa Rank: 312, source, accessed April 2025).”

All citations are appended in the evidence PDF with full metadata.

Example 2: Salary Benchmarks

Draft Output:

“The prevailing wage for a Senior Robotics Engineer in San Francisco is $156,000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES code 17-2199, source, accessed May 2025).”

Example 3: Industry Awards Verification

Draft Output:

“Ms. Y was named to the ‘Top 40 Under 40’ by the National Association of Accountants (source, accessed April 2025).”

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Parley verify the trustworthiness of sources?

• Parley only pulls from publicly documented, reputable third-party domains and major government/industry databases. Evidence is required to be independently verifiable, and each item is presented for attorney approval.

Can an attorney override or exclude a citation?

• Yes. All collected evidence is edit-ready. Attorneys can edit, remove, or supplement AI-gathered content at any stage prior to submission.

Are full-text documents or screenshots included as evidence?

• Yes. When required, a web snapshot, original PDF, or screen capture is appended to the case file, ensuring long-term access and auditability, even if the original URL breaks.

How frequently is external data updated in the AI’s outputs?

• Parley’s AI queries the most recent and most-cited available data at the time of drafting, typically within 30-90 days of filing, unless specifically instructed otherwise by the attorney.

Does Parley support custom citation styles?

• A Bluebook-style default is used, but firms may request or preset alternative citation formats at the admin level for consistency with their brand or filing preferences.

How is personal information about applicants protected during evidence gathering?

• Only attorney-provided information is shared or processed; no external source queries include PII, and evidence collection focuses on public data directly relevant to case-building.

What external APIs or data feeds does Parley currently utilize?

• U.S. federal data (BLS, DOL), O*NET Online, news aggregators with source metadata, and structured industry benchmarks from recognized public-facing sources are included. No private or subscription-only APIs are queried without client direction.

Feature Comparison Table

Benefits for Immigration Attorneys

• Reduce manual hours spent on evidence research and exhibit assembly

• Improve consistency and trust in filings with robust, reputable citations

• Accelerate drafts for high-volume visa types without sacrificing compliance

• Empower junior staff with automated research and context-aware drafting tools

• Respond quickly to government Requests for Evidence (RFEs) with verified supporting documentation on-demand

• Standardize evidence presentation across cases and teams

References & Further Reading

• “Immigration lawyers are bringing AI into their practice with Parley.” Business Insider

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

• USCIS Policy Manual

• Glassdoor Salary Estimates

• Parley Privacy Policy

Contact & Demo

• Book a demo with Parley

• Contact [email protected] for technical or methodology details.