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What Does My Petition Number Mean?


TA-W Number
After receiving a valid petition, the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance (OTAA) assigns the petition a five digit case number in the format of "TA-W-XX,XXX". If you don't already know your petition number, you may identify it by searching your company name.

Program Benefits

On May 18, 2009, The Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009 (known as the 2009 Amendments) was passed as part of the Recovery Act and served to greatly expand the TAA program. However, this law expired on February 12, 2011, and the Omnibus Trade Act of 2010 reauthorized the program through February 12, 2012 at the benefit and service levels in place prior to the enactment of the 2009 Amendments. Therefore, the TAA program is now operating under the Trade Act of 1974 as it was amended by the TAA Reform Act of 2002 (known as the Current Law). The petition number reflects this recent change in the law governing the TAA program, and also indicates the level of TAA program benefits that may be available to you.

Current Law and TA-W Numbers
Workers covered by petitions filed on or before May 17, 2009, are identified by a petition number lower than 70,000 and are eligible for benefits and services under the Current Law. Workers covered by petitions received after February 14, 2011, are identified by a petition number greater than 80,000 and are also eligible for benefits and services under the Current Law.

2009 Amendments and TA-W Numbers
Workers covered by petitions filed on or after May 18, 2009 and received on or before 11:59 PM EST on February 14, 2011, are identified by petition numbers greater than 70,000 and less than 80,000 and are eligible for benefits and services under the 2009 Amendments.


The chart below describes the benefits and services of the TAA program under the 2009 Amendments as compared to the benefits and services under the Current Law.

TA-W numbers less than 69,999 and greater than 80,000

Program benefits and services available under
the Current Law

    Trade Readjustment Allowances

    Up to 130 weeks of cash payments for workers
    enrolled in full-time training

    Up to 156 weeks of cash payments if the worker
    is also enrolled in remedial or prerequisite training

Trade Readjustment Allowances

Up to 104 weeks of cash payments for workers
enrolled in full-time training

Up to 130 weeks of cash payments if the worker
is also enrolled in remedial training

Training Enrollment Deadlines

Workers must be enrolled in training 26 weeks after
certification or layoff, whichever is later, in order to receive TRA

States have wide latitude in applying good cause provisions
to missed deadlines.

Training Enrollment Deadlines

Workers must be enrolled in training eight weeks after certification or 16 weeks after layoff, whichever is later, in order to receive TRA

States may extend the training enrollment deadline by 45 days
in the event of extenuating circumstances

Training Services

Training may be approved on a full-time or part-time basis, although full-time training is required for TRA eligibility.

Certified workers may begin approved training when threatened with separation, or when
they are totally or partially separated,
from adversely affected employment

Training Services

Training may only be approved on a full-time basis

Certified workers may begin approved training
when threatened with separation,
or when they are totally or partially separated,
from adversely affected employment

Reemployment Trade Adjustment Assistance

Available to workers 50 years of age or older

Does not require a separate certification of group eligibility

Workers may participate in TAA-approved training

Requires full-time employment, unless the worker is
also enrolled in TAA-approved training and employed at least 20 hours per week, and does not set a deadline for reemployment

Available only for workers earning less than $55,000 per year
in reemployment

Maximum benefit of $12,000 over a period of up to two years

Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance

Available to workers 50 years of age or older

Requires a separate certification of group eligibility

Workers may not participate in TAA-approved training

Requires full-time employment within 26 weeks of separation

Available only for workers earning less than $50,000 per year
in reemployment

Maximum benefit of $10,000 over a period up to two years

Job Search Allowances

100% of allowable costs, up to $1,500

Job Search Allowances

90% of allowable costs, up to $1,250

Relocation Allowances

100% of allowable costs

Provides an additional lump sum payment of up to $1,500

Relocation Allowances

90% of allowable costs

Provides an additional lump sum payment of up to $1,250