Salary and LC
The prevailing wage rate is defined as the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in the requested occupation in the area of intended employment.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires that the hiring of a foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers working in the occupation in the area of intended employment. One of the major ways of ensuring this is by the regulatory requirement that the wages offered on labor certification applications must be the prevailing wage rate for the occupational classification in the area of employment.
The requirement to pay prevailing wages, as a minimum, is true of virtually all employment based visa programs - permanent and temporary. However, in certain programs, such as H-1B (temporary specialty occupations), the employer is required to pay the prevailing wage or the actual wage paid by the firm to workers with similar skills and qualifications, whichever is higher.
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Qualifying Criteria
The employer must hire the foreign worker as a full-time employee;
There must be a bona fide job opening;
Job requirements must adhere to what is customarily required for the occupation in the U.S. and may not be tailored to the worker\'s qualifications. In addition, the employer shall document that the job opportunity has been and is being described without unduly restrictive job requirements, unless adequately documented as arising from business necessity.
The employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the area of intended employment
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http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/foreign/perm.asp
