The Department of Labor has recently introduced the Foreign Labor Application Gateway, or FLAG. This self-described “newly-modernized portal” is now mandatory for employers to use when submitting a Prevailing Wage Request. Eventually, it will serve as the new application filing and case management solution for all foreign labor certification programs. Currently, the site is plagued by technical issues, which have made it extremely difficult for users to successfully complete what was previously a straightforward application process.
Though FLAG is currently being used for Prevailing Wage applications, the Department of Labor’s website also indicates that users will soon be able to file Labor Condition Applications (for H-1B applications) electronically within this system. While we can appreciate the government’s effort towards paperless filings, it will also make it very easy for the government to cross-check information between the temporary work visa application and the green card process. Fortunately, we have already anticipated such data mining. For this reason, we have always striven to ensure consistency among our clients’ applications.