US Resumes H1B Visa Application Processing After Shutdown: What You Need to Know?

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has resumed processing applications for both temporary and permanent employment programs. This follows a nearly month-long pause caused by a federal funding lapse during the recent U.S. government shutdown.

FLAG and Seasonal Jobs Portals Reopen

The Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) portal, along with the SeasonalJobs.dol.gov website, is now back online after being offline since around September 30. The outage had disrupted critical services for employers who rely on foreign workers in industries such as technology, healthcare, and other essential sectors.

With the portals fully operational, employers can now:

• Submit new Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) for H-1B visas, a key visa category for skilled professionals.
• Monitor the status of existing applications.

Department of Labor Statement

On October 31, the DOL issued a statement: “The Office of Foreign Labor Certification’s (OFLC) FLAG system is now accessible, allowing users to prepare and submit new applications and manage pending applications. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as OFLC returns to full operational capacity.”

PERM Labor Certifications Also Resumed

The restart also includes Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) labour certifications, the first step for U.S. employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers for Green Cards through permanent positions. These procedures help ensure fair wages and working conditions for U.S. workers while allowing lawful employment of foreign nationals.

The OFLC manages the labour certification process that U.S. employers must complete before hiring foreign workers under programs such as H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, and PERM. Applications are submitted through the FLAG portal, which serves as the official platform for filing, uploading documents, and tracking case progress.

Impact on Indian Professionals

The shutdown disproportionately affected Indian professionals, who account for nearly 70% of all H-1B visa holders. Many rely on timely LCA and PERM approvals to maintain legal immigration status and continue working in the U.S. The temporary closure left thousands of cases pending, including prevailing wage determinations, LCAs, and PERM applications, causing uncertainty for workers with visas nearing expiration, according to immigration attorneys.

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