With annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) having lapsed on Feb. 14, 2026, immigration stakeholders are again navigating the practical consequences of a DHS-specific shutdown. Despite the current shutdown, most DHS immigration functions continue, but the impact may vary across agencies and programs. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department
This CNBC TV 18 article discusses the U.S. Department of Labor’s Project Firewall, launched in September 2025 to intensify enforcement against misuse of the H-1B visa program and prioritize American workers. The initiative allows the government to investigate employers proactively and is accompanied by a public campaign emphasizing job protection. Greenberg Traurig Immigration Co-Chair Kate
On Oct. 31, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has resumed full processing of employer requests for prevailing wage determinations and labor certifications for both temporary and permanent employment in the United States.
Following a period of system disruption, the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG)
The Department of Labor (DOL)’s new Project Firewall has become a much discussed—and misunderstood—development in U.S. business immigration. Announced in September 2025, this initiative signals an increased focus on federal enforcement of the H-1B visa program. While employers are right to take notice, some of the conversation around Project Firewall has been driven by speculation.
The federal government shutdown is disrupting some immigration functions. Most significantly, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s FLAG system is down, preventing the filing of LCAs, prevailing wage requests, and PERM applications. While U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) remain operational due to fee-based funding, employers should prepare
On Sept. 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Project Firewall, a new enforcement initiative focused on compliance with employers’ obligations under H-1B visa program with respect to hiring and retention, wage and hour, and other employment practices. Project Firewall’s stated goal is “to safeguard the rights, wages, and job opportunities of highly
Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced the creation of a new Office of Immigration Policy (OIP) within the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Office of the Secretary. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to streamline legal, employment-based immigration processes, enhance coordination across federal agencies, and reduce employer reliance on undocumented workers.
Continue Reading Department of Labor Establishes Office of Immigration Policy
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently posted the June 2024 edition of their monthly updates regarding DOL processing times for permanent labor certification applications (PERM) and prevailing wage determination (PWD) requests, both important components of the most common employment-based green card route.
As of June 1, 2024, the DOL was adjudicating PERM applications filed
On April 21, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that after May 15, 2023, at 6:59 p.m. EST, they would no longer accept ETA-9089 applications via their legacy PERM Online System. Thereafter, all ETA-9089 applications must be filed using the DOL’s FLAG system, and OFLC will no
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) recently held webinars to guide users on upcoming changes to the Form ETA 9089. The objective of these changes is to streamline and standardize the information that employers submit when preparing PERM applications. The DOL hopes these changes will provide greater efficiency and