Applicants often have difficulty getting a response from the various email help desks (sr.processing@dol.gov, plc.atlanta@dol.gov, etc.) beyond a boilerplate acknowledgement of the inquiry. This lack of substantive response can be particularly challenging when an employer is trying to create a new PERM filing account, or if the employer’s contact is locked out of their online PERM account. Has DOL provided any details on how e-mail inquiries are handled by each of the help desks? Does DOL have required service response times? Would it be possible for a dedicated e-mail to be created to follow-up on specific matters, such as PERM account registration problems? As an example, USCIS has a dedicated follow-up e-mail for service requests, but this e-mail can only be used after a service request is made, and after a set period of time goes by without a response.
DOL indicates that it has completed its project to address “straggler” cases and has returned staff to normal job duties. This may help to improve timeliness of responses from DOL on these kinds of issues.