VSVisaSignalOfficial filing intelligence

LCA case status

LCA case status check — what each LCA status means

An LCA (Labor Condition Application) case status is a Department of Labor determination — Certified, Certified - Withdrawn, Withdrawn, or Denied — published in the public OFLC disclosure data. This page explains each value, how a DOL LCA status differs from a USCIS H-1B case status, and how to look one up.

An LCA case status can be looked up in three different places, and which one you use depends on what you have in hand: DOL's public FLAG Case Status Search if you have the case number, the OFLC disclosure files if you only have the employer name, and USCIS Case Status Online if what you actually want is the H-1B petition. Verified .

VisaSignal is not the live tracker. VisaSignal reflects the public DOL OFLC disclosure snapshot, which DOL releases each federal fiscal-year quarter — it is not a real-time status API. For a live status, use the agency tool that holds the case: FLAG Case Status Search for the LCA itself, or USCIS Case Status Online for the H-1B petition receipt number.

Search LCA & PERM recordsSource statusUSCIS Case Status Online

LCA case-status values last verified against the DOL OFLC LCA disclosure record layout and flag.dol.gov/programs/LCA.

Status values

The four DOL LCA case-status values, explained

Every LCA row in the DOL OFLC disclosure data carries one of these CASE_STATUS values. They describe the outcome of the Department of Labor step only, not an H-1B petition decision.

Official CASE_STATUS field
Certified
DOL certified the Labor Condition Application. The employer may now use it to support an H-1B, H-1B1, or E-3 petition. Certification is a DOL wage-and-attestation step — it does not by itself mean a visa was petitioned, approved, or that the worker was hired.
Certified - Withdrawn
The LCA was certified by DOL and then withdrawn by the employer, usually because the role, worksite, or plan changed. The certification existed but is no longer being used.
Withdrawn
The employer withdrew the LCA before a final DOL determination, so it was never certified for use. Common when a filing is superseded or the position does not move forward.
Denied
DOL denied certification — for example because of an incomplete filing or an attestation problem. A denied LCA cannot support a petition.

DOL vs USCIS

An LCA status is not a USCIS petition status

The LCA and the H-1B petition are two separate steps at two different agencies, filed in sequence. Reading the LCA status as an approved visa is the most common mix-up — here is where each one lives.

Two agencies, two steps
The LCA is the DOL step

The Labor Condition Application (Form ETA-9035/9035E) is filed with the Department of Labor before the H-1B petition. Its case status — Certified, Certified - Withdrawn, Withdrawn, or Denied — is a DOL determination about wage and working-condition attestations, published in the public OFLC disclosure files.

The H-1B petition is the USCIS step

After the LCA is certified, the employer files the H-1B petition (Form I-129) with USCIS. That petition gets its own receipt number and its own status — Received, Case Was Approved, Request for Evidence, and so on — tracked on the official USCIS Case Status Online tool, not in the DOL disclosure data.

A certified LCA is not an approved visa

Because the two run in sequence at two different agencies, a Certified LCA only clears the DOL step. It does not confirm that USCIS received, approved, or will approve the H-1B petition, and it is not proof of sponsorship or hiring.

How to check each one

For a specific LCA you hold the case number for, use DOL's public FLAG Case Status Search. For LCA activity by employer rather than by case, use the public OFLC disclosure filings (VisaSignal reflects that snapshot). For a specific H-1B petition, use the USCIS receipt number on USCIS Case Status Online — VisaSignal does not have and cannot show live petition receipt statuses.

How to look it up

Where to check an LCA status vs an H-1B petition status

Three different systems answer three different questions. Pick the one that matches what you already have — a case number, an employer name, or a USCIS receipt number.

Three lookups
If you have the LCA case number

DOL runs a public case-status lookup — no FLAG account needed. It accepts up to 30 case numbers at a time, one per line, shaped like G-100-12345-123456, and covers LCA (ETA Form 9035) alongside PERM and prevailing wage requests. This is the only route to a still-pending LCA.

Open FLAG Case Status Search
If you only have the employer name

Look up the employer in the LCA database to see its imported LCA filings and each row's case status, certified or otherwise, from the public OFLC disclosure files. This answers whether an employer files and gets certified — not where one pending case stands.

Search the LCA database
If you want the H-1B petition

For a specific H-1B petition, enter the receipt number on USCIS Case Status Online. That live status is on the USCIS side and is not part of the DOL disclosure data VisaSignal reflects.

Open USCIS Case Status Online

FLAG Case Status Search programs, batch limit, and case-number format retrieved from DOL FLAG Case Status Search. Date retrieved: .

Keep researching

Move from status meaning into the filing data

These views keep the official-source trail close to the LCA and PERM records the case statuses come from.

Search LCA & PERM recordsLook up an employer's H-1B LCA and PERM disclosure filings — including the case status on each certified or denied record.Source statusCheck when the DOL OFLC LCA and PERM disclosure snapshots were last imported, with row counts and source links.H-1B sponsor checkerCheck whether a specific company shows LCA and PERM filing activity, using the same official DOL disclosure signals.About the dataRead how VisaSignal normalizes the official DOL OFLC disclosure files and the caveats that apply to every figure.

Built from the DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data. Date verified: .

LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I check an LCA case status?

If you have the LCA case number, use DOL's own public FLAG Case Status Search at flag.dol.gov/case-status-search. It takes up to 30 case numbers at a time, one per line, in the form G-100-12345-123456, and it lists LCA (ETA Form 9035) among the programs it covers. No FLAG account or sign-in is needed. If you do not have a case number, use the OFLC disclosure files instead: DOL publishes LCA outcomes there after each fiscal-year quarter with a CASE_STATUS of Certified, Certified - Withdrawn, Withdrawn, or Denied, and VisaSignal reflects that snapshot so you can look up an employer's filings by name in the LCA database.

Is there a public FLAG case status search on dol.gov?

Yes. DOL's Office of Foreign Labor Certification runs one at flag.dol.gov/case-status-search, on the public Resources menu rather than behind the FLAG login. It covers LCA (ETA Form 9035), PERM (ETA Form 9089), Prevailing Wage Determination Requests (ETA Forms 9141 and 9141C), CW-1, H-2A, H-2A job orders, and H-2B. It accepts up to 30 case numbers per search and applies automated verification to prevent abuse. PERM applications filed before 31 May 2023 are directed to plc.doleta.gov instead. Verified 2026-08-03.

Can I track an LCA without the case number?

Not by case, no — the FLAG lookup is keyed to the case number, so without it there is nothing to enter. What you can do is search by employer: the public OFLC disclosure files list each filing and its final case status, which is what VisaSignal indexes. That answers 'has this employer filed, and were those filings certified' rather than 'where is my specific application right now'. Only the filer, or someone the filer gave the case number to, can check an individual pending LCA.

What do the LCA case-status values mean?

Certified means DOL certified the Labor Condition Application so it can support a petition. Certified - Withdrawn means it was certified and then withdrawn by the employer. Withdrawn means the employer pulled it before a final determination, so it was never certified. Denied means DOL declined to certify it. These are the four CASE_STATUS values in the official DOL OFLC LCA disclosure record layout.

What is the difference between an LCA status and a USCIS case status?

They are two separate steps at two agencies. The LCA case status is the Department of Labor's determination on the Labor Condition Application (Form ETA-9035), published in the OFLC disclosure data. The USCIS case status is the adjudication status of the H-1B petition (Form I-129) filed after the LCA is certified, tracked by receipt number on USCIS Case Status Online. A certified LCA does not mean the H-1B petition was received or approved.

Does VisaSignal track LCA cases in real time?

No. VisaSignal is not a live case tracker. It reflects the public DOL OFLC disclosure snapshot, which DOL releases each federal fiscal-year quarter, and it shows when that snapshot was last imported on the source-status page. For a live status, go to the agency that holds the case: DOL's FLAG Case Status Search for the LCA itself, or USCIS Case Status Online for the H-1B petition receipt number.

Is a certified LCA the same as an approved H-1B?

No. A certified LCA only completes the DOL wage-and-attestation step. The H-1B petition is filed separately with USCIS afterward and can still receive a request for evidence, an approval, or a denial. Treat a certified LCA as historical DOL filing activity, not proof of an approved visa or guaranteed sponsorship.

Does an LCA certification mean an H-1B petition was approved?

No. A DOL-certified LCA is not the same as USCIS H-1B petition approval. It is an official labor-condition filing signal that should be interpreted with that limit.

Does a PERM certification mean a green card was approved?

No. PERM certification is one step in an employment-based green card process. It does not mean a green card, I-140 petition, or adjustment of status was approved.

Can this data prove an employer will sponsor a candidate?

No. Official filing history can show recent activity, roles, worksites, and wage signals, but it does not guarantee future sponsorship or predict legal outcomes.