This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
The Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced on September 25, 2020, that it is permanently adopting the electronic issuance of PERM labor certifications to employers and their authorized attorneys or agents.
On March 24, 2020, OFLC announced that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would electronically issue PERM labor certifications to employers and their authorized attorneys or agents through June 30, 2020. On June 16, 2020, OFLC announced that it was extending that period through September 30, 2020. On July 30, 2020, DOL signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) providing access to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to all applications for permanent labor certification submitted to OFLC through the PERM online system, including the ability to verify that a PERM application has been certified. OFLC said the MOA "eliminates the need for duplicate certification requests and increases the integrity of the PERM program by supporting efforts to combat instances of fraud and abuse in connection with labor certification and employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant programs."
