DOL OFLC, Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) System

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment & Training Administration Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) OFLC Technology Modernization Initiative May 2019 Office of Foreign Labor Certification Employment and Training Administration United States Department of Labor 1 Purpose This webinar is designed to provide interested stakeholders with information on OFLC’s new IT modernization initiative: The Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) System Today, we will provide a high-level overview of the FLAG System initiative: • WHY implementation of the FLAG System is necessary to continuously improve OFLC business processes and stakeholder experience with our services • WHAT kind of features can the FLAG System deliver to the stakeholder community • WHEN will the stakeholder community see these system improvements take place • HOW will these system improvements be implemented across OFLC’s programs and platforms 2 Why is Implementing the FLAG System Necessary? • Our mission is to help U.S. employers find qualified workers while ensuring protections for U.S. and foreign workers • We have identified four major imperatives that serve as a foundation for implementing the FLAG System: 1. Current systems are decades old and have not kept pace with the latest customer filing technologies (e.g., mobile application design, digital signatures) 2. Inadequate personalization of customer accounts, forms preparation options, and automated alerts 3. Need for more robust and integrated case processing, document management, and reporting capabilities to maximize efficiencies for OFLC staff 4.

Technology infrastructure is relatively unstable and not scalable to meet increasing workload demands 3 What Does the Future Look Like in the FLAG System? • Personalized User Accounts • Accessible via Mobile Devices • Case Status “Dashboard” Reporting • Increased Customer Accessibility • Improved Processing Efficiency • Enhanced Decision Consistency • Flexible Form Preparation Options • Automated Field Population • Enhanced Data Validation Edits • Digital Document Signature • Automated Case Alerts • Access to OFLC Case Decisions (e.g., NODs, NOAs) • Enhanced Document Upload Capabilities • Continue “Paperless” Transition • Eliminate Blue Security Paper • Secure Digital Certifications • Enhanced SWA-to-NPC Data Sharing • More Seamless Customer Transition from DOL-to-USCIS • Improved Federal Records Storage & Management Enhanced Customer Experience Expected Benefits & Impacts FABRIKAM 4 2019 Planned Release Schedule for FLAG System CY 2018 CALENDAR YEAR 2019 DEC JAN – MAR APR – JUN JUL – SEP OCT – DEC FLAG Public Homepage December 2018 • Released FLAG System public homepage • Provides information about the FLAG System and planned release schedule for 2019 • NO application filing capability CW-1 Program March 2019 • Released FLAG System CW-1 online application filing and case processing Important Note: Release schedules are planned and subject to change Prevailing Wage and H-2B Programs H-2A Program LCA Programs FUTURE RELEASES • Expected releases of modernized Prevailing Wage, H-2B, H-2A, and LCA (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3) online application filing and case processing • H-2B/H-2A implementations coincide with new OMB-approved forms • Prevailing Wage implementation will occur in 2 phases: current form implementation (Summer 2019) and then transition to new OMB- approved form (Early Fall 2019) 5 How will the FLAG System Improvements be Delivered? • The FLAG System homepage will maintain an updated release schedule for interested stakeholders • Each FLAG System deployment will include:  Transition schedule for filing applications from the iCERT-to-FLAG System  “How-To” webinar sessions to assist customers with online filing using the FLAG System  Detailed user manuals and other technical assistance materials  Help desk resources for technical issues with the FLAG System • Implementation plans for a modernized PERM Program in the FLAG System are not available at this time 6 FLAG System Navigation FLAG.DOL.GOV Designed to optimize the user experience, FLAG not only serves as your one-stop shop for all Foreign Labor Certification programs, but also operates on a highly navigable platform. • Direct access to module pages for application completion • Easy account creation with in-system, step-by-step guidance • Navigation buttons on each page to prevent loss of entered information • Users can navigate to helpful tips within the system 7 FLAG System Navigation 8