Ogletree Deakins Ogletree Deakins
Home > Insights & Resources > Blog Posts > DOL Restores OFLC Operations During Government Shutdown

DOL Restores OFLC Operations During Government Shutdown

By Corona C. Wang
Download PDFPrintShare

On October 31, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the resumption of processing for employer requests related to prevailing wage determinations and labor certifications for both temporary and permanent employment.

Previously, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC) Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system was taken offline at the outset of the government shutdown on October 1, 2025. During the outage, users were unable to submit new applications or access information associated with pending filings.

Close-up of blank immigration stamp with copy space.

Quick Hits

  • Users of the FLAG system are now able to prepare and submit new requests related to temporary and permanent employment applications, including PERM, H-2A, and H-2B labor certifications.
  • The FLAG system is accepting and processing new labor condition applications (LCAs) for the H-1B, E-3, and H-1B1 categories.
  • The DOL has cautioned that stakeholders might experience longer-than-normal processing and response times as systems return to full operational status.

Key Takeaways

Employers may now resume filing applications for PERM, H-2A, and H-2B labor certifications, as well as requests for prevailing wage determinations. LCAs can now also be submitted and are being processed in the FLAG system. Ongoing agency updates could affect filing strategies as operations return to normal.

Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will publish updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.

This article and more information on how the Trump administration’s actions impact employers can be found on Ogletree Deakins’ Administration Resource Hub.

Follow and Subscribe
LinkedIn | Instagram | Webinars | Podcasts

Author

Corona C. Wang Profile Image
Corona C. Wang
Of Counsel, Boston

Topics

Governmental Affairs , Immigration

Browse More Insights

Podcasts Seminars Webinars
American flag flapping in front of corporate office building in Lower Manhattan
Practice Group

Governmental Affairs

Ogletree Governmental Affairs, Inc. (OGA), a subsidiary of Ogletree Deakins, is a full service legislative and regulatory affairs consulting firm, dedicated to helping clients solve their problems with the public sector. OGA unites the skills and experience of government relations professionals with the talent of the Firm’s lawyers to provide solutions to regulatory issues outside the courtroom.

Learn more
Close up of American visa label in passport. Shallow depth of field.
Practice Group

Immigration

Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest business immigration practices in the United States and provides a wide range of legal services for employers seeking temporary business visas and permanent residence on behalf of foreign national employees.

Learn more

Sign up to receive emails about new developments and upcoming programs.

Sign Up Now