6 months ago
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Employers successful the United States tin erstwhile again taxable applications for H-1B, H-2A, H-2B and PERM visa programs to prosecute overseas workers aft the Department of Labor restored processing done its Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) confirmed that the level is progressive and operational, enabling employers to record caller applications, way pending cases, and determination stalled filings towards decisions. With the strategy backmost online, the Department has resumed processing requests for prevailing wages and labour certification determinations for some impermanent and imperishable employment.In its announcement, the section said, “The Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC) Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) strategy is present accessible and permits strategy users to hole and taxable caller applications arsenic good arsenic taxable and person accusation associated with their applications pending a last determination.”It added, “We apologize for immoderate inconvenience this whitethorn origin and admit your patience arsenic OFLC transitions backmost to afloat operational status.”
What is OFLC?
The OFLC handles the labour certification measurement that US employers indispensable implicit earlier hiring overseas workers nether visa programs specified arsenic H-1B, H-2A, H-2B and PERM, according to ET. These applications are processed done the FLAG portal, which is the authoritative online strategy utilized for filing, uploading supporting documents and monitoring exertion status.
The portal besides links to SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, wherever impermanent positions certified nether the H-2A and H-2B programmes are listed. With nary OFLC approval, employers cannot determination up with employment-based visa petitions to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Why was the strategy paused earlier?
The shutdown that halted processing earlier successful the twelvemonth occurred due to the fact that national backing lapsed, triggering a government-wide frost connected assorted operations.
When the Department of Labor’s allocation expired astir September 30, this year, the OFLC suspended enactment and some the FLAG portal and SeasonalJobs.dol.gov went offline. During the outage, employers could not record caller applications, update existing ones oregon taxable labour information applications, prevailing wage requests oregon PERM filings. The section clarified that the intermission had nary transportation to its ongoing strategy modernisation arsenic the halt was straight linked to the backing lapse.
Backlogs and much load—What tin employers expect
Even earlier the shutdown, the bureau was already facing a dense queue. As of July 2025, applications submitted arsenic aboriginal arsenic March 2024 were inactive waiting to beryllium reviewed. With services present restored, the OFLC has warned of slower turnaround times arsenic it works done accumulated filings, ET reported.With the FLAG portal operational again, employers whitethorn resume filing labour information applications for H-1B cases and PERM labour certifications. Those who already person submissions successful advancement should expect extended processing times until operations stabilise. The section has urged applicants to proceed monitoring authoritative OFLC channels for updates connected strategy show and processing timelines.
