On October 31, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it has resumed processing of Labor Certification (PERM) and Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD) applications through the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system. The FLAG portal was disabled by the Department of Labor when the federal government shutdown on October 1, 2025. PERM and PWD applications are prerequisites to employers sponsoring employees for U.S. lawful permanent resident status. FLAG is an online portal used to file PERM, PWD, and other applications like the Labor Condition Application (LCA), a prerequisite to the applying for H-1B nonimmigrant status. It appears that LCA filing, which was also disabled, has been reenabled. Employers should move forward with application filings through the FLAG system immediately. It is unclear whether the FLAG system might be disabled again due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Related Links:
U.S. Department of Labor, “The Department of Labor Announces that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification has Resumed Application Processing,” FLAG (Foreign Labor Application Gateway), Oct. 31, 2025. Available: https://flag.dol.gov/announcement/2025–10–31
