RFI and audit response deadline
Thirty calendar days from the date on DOL's letter, counted the way the regulation counts it. Enter the letter's date.
The date printed on the RFI or audit letter, not the day it was opened.
Common questions
Is it 30 days from the letter or from when we received it?
From the date of the letter. 20 CFR 656.20(b) says the employer must respond within 30 days of the date of the audit letter. Mail time comes out of the 30, which is why the response window is usually shorter than a month in practice.
What happens if the deadline is missed?
The application is denied, and 20 CFR 656.20 lets the Certifying Officer require supervised recruitment on the employer's future applications for up to two years. The regulation gives the Certifying Officer discretion to extend the period; there is no right to an extension, and a request has to go in before the deadline.
Does an RFI in FLAG follow the same rule?
The case status RFI ISSUED on flag.dol.gov is DOL's request for information on a filed application. The letter states its own response period; the 30 days here is the audit rule, and the letter governs if it says otherwise.
What does the deadline do to the case's place in line?
A case that leaves the ordinary queue for an audit or RFI is worked outside filing order. Our measured stage medians for cases under review are on the RFI and audit page linked below.