Employers in america can as soon as once more submit functions for H-1B, H-2A, H-2B and PERM visa applications to rent overseas staff after the Division of Labor restored processing by means of its International Labor Software Gateway (FLAG) system. The Workplace of International Labor Certification (OFLC) confirmed that the platform is energetic and operational, enabling employers to file new functions, monitor pending instances, and transfer stalled filings in direction of choices.
With the system again on-line, the Division has resumed processing requests for prevailing wages and labour certification determinations for each short-term and everlasting employment.In its announcement, the division mentioned, “The Workplace of International Labor Certification's (OFLC) International Labor Software Gateway (FLAG) system is now accessible and permits system customers to arrange and submit new functions in addition to submit and obtain info related to their functions pending a last dedication.”It added, “We apologize for any inconvenience this may occasionally trigger and admire your endurance as OFLC transitions again to full operational standing.”
What's OFLC?
The OFLC handles the labour certification step that US employers should full earlier than hiring overseas staff beneath visa applications corresponding to H-1B, H-2A, H-2B and PERM, in keeping with ET. These functions are processed by means of the FLAG portal, which is the official on-line system used for submitting, importing supporting paperwork and monitoring software standing. The portal additionally hyperlinks to SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, the place short-term positions licensed beneath the H-2A and H-2B programmes are listed. With no OFLC approval, employers can't transfer forward with employment-based visa petitions to the US Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS).
Why was the system paused earlier?
The shutdown that halted processing earlier within the yr occurred as a result of federal funding lapsed, triggering a government-wide freeze on numerous operations. When the Division of Labor's allocation expired round September 30, this yr, the OFLC suspended exercise and each the FLAG portal and SeasonalJobs.dol.gov went offline. Throughout the outage, employers couldn't file new functions, replace current ones or submit labour situation functions, prevailing wage requests or PERM filings. The division clarified that the pause had no connection to its ongoing system modernisation because the halt was immediately linked to the funding lapse.
Backlogs and extra load—What can employers count on
Even earlier than the shutdown, the company was already dealing with a heavy queue. As of July 2025, functions submitted as early as March 2024 had been nonetheless ready to be reviewed. With companies now restored, the OFLC has warned of slower turnaround instances as it really works by means of collected filings, ET reported.With the FLAG portal operational once more, employers could resume submitting labour situation functions for H-1B instances and PERM labour certifications. Those that have already got submissions in progress ought to count on prolonged processing instances till operations stabilise. The division has urged candidates to proceed monitoring official OFLC channels for updates on system efficiency and processing timelines.
