The Permanent Online (PO) System was implemented on March 28, 2005, as a way of streamlining filing documents for labor certification applications issued by the Department of Labor (DOL). The PO system allowed employers to submit applications for permanent labor certifications online. However, even things that seem permanent must eventually come to an end, and the implementation of the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system on May 16, 2023, signaled the end of the PO System.
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) recently announced that the PO System will be fully decommissioned on December 1, 2024, and fully replaced by the FLAG system. This announcement comes as part of the DOL’s technology modernization initiative which is intended to improve customer service and modernize the administration of foreign labor certification programs.
Starting December 1, 2024, the PO System will start redirecting account holders and the general public to the new FLAG system. Stakeholders who require documents from the PO System are highly advised to download them well before the scheduled decommission date. If any PO account holders need to upload documents, or request specific actions, on an application they should do so before November 30, 2024, 7 P.M. EST at the very latest.
Applications still in the PO System that are pending after November 30, 2024, will continue to be processed by the OFLC. Stakeholders who need to request something specifically or add to an application after December 1, 2024, can only do so by emailing the PLC Help Desk Contact, at [email protected]. Any documents submitted this way should be submitted as PDF files and named with the assigned case number and title of the file you intend to attach to the application.
Once again, after November 30, 2024, stakeholders will not be able to upload documents directly to pending applications in the PO System. Employers and their attorneys should check their emails regularly for notifications and communication about any pending applications in the Permanent Online System.