Processing Times for PERM in 2026

DOL and the State Department both published new numbers this cycle: an updated PERM processing-times snapshot from DOL's FLAG dashboard, dated August 28, 2026, and a new Visa Bulletin for September 2026. Here's what changed, what didn't, and what it means for how you track PERM cases on your team's roster.

What is PERM?

PERM stands for "Program Electronic Review Management." For most employer-sponsored EB-2 and EB-3 green cards, it is the first required step. Some categories, including EB-1, EB-2 National Interest Waivers, and Schedule A occupations, do not require PERM.

The PERM process has three distinct stages:

• Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD): The employer files a request with DOL to determine the applicable prevailing wage for the job opportunity based on information including its duties and requirements, occupational classification, area of intended employment, and applicable wage source.
• Recruitment: The employer runs required job advertisements to test whether there is a U.S. worker who is able, willing, qualified, and available for the role.
• ETA Form 9089: If no such U.S. worker is identified, the employer files the PERM application itself. For an I-140 petition supported by an individual labor certification, the priority date is the date DOL accepted the labor certification application for processing.

How Long Does It Take?

DOL's processing-time data is a monthly snapshot, not a promise for an individual case. As of August 28, 2026, DOL was reviewing PERM analyst-review cases filed in November 2025, and its most recent completed-case data shows an average of 372 calendar days for cases decided in July 2026. Prevailing wage and recruitment timing should be planned separately from that analyst-review figure, using the tables below. Audits can materially extend the process, but DOL does not currently publish a standard average for audit duration, so use the current DOL audit queue date rather than a fixed number of additional days when you're estimating a specific case.

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, as of 8/28/2026.

Step 1: Prevailing Wage Determination

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, as of 6/30/2026. DOL displays a separate snapshot date for prevailing-wage data, so it should not be combined with the newer PERM adjudication date.

DOL's queue is still substantial. As of the June 30 data, most pending PERM prevailing wage requests were filed from April through June 2026, although a smaller number of earlier requests also remained pending:

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, "Remaining Requests by Receipt Month," as of 6/30/2026.

Step 2: Recruitment

Mandatory recruitment activities include:

• A job order with the state workforce agency for 30 days
• Advertisements on two different Sundays in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of intended employment that is appropriate to the occupation and likely applicants, subject to the limited professional-journal alternative in 20 CFR § 656.17(e)
• A worksite posting for ten consecutive business days (or, if the position is represented by a bargaining unit, notice to that union instead)
• Three additional recruitment steps from a prescribed list, for professional occupations

The mandatory professional recruitment steps must generally occur at least 30 days and no more than 180 days before filing. However, one of the three additional professional recruitment steps may consist of activity that occurred within the 30 days immediately before filing. Because the state workforce agency job order must run for 30 days and must finish at least 30 days before filing, the recruitment calendar generally spans at least approximately 60 days from the beginning of the job order. Advertisement scheduling, applicant review, and preparation of the recruitment report can make the process longer. The regulation expressly permits one additional step within the final 30 days (20 CFR § 656.17(e)).

Step 3: ETA Form 9089

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, as of 8/28/2026. The 372-day figure is the average for Analyst Review determinations completed in July 2026, not a guaranteed decision date for a pending case.

Possible outcomes at this stage:

• Certification
• Denial
• Audit, which moves the case into a separate review process and can extend the total case timeline

Visa Bulletin, September 2026

Final Action Dates

Dates for Filing

Source: U.S. Department of State, Visa Bulletin for September 2026.

The EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 dates shown above did not change between the August and September 2026 Visa Bulletins. India EB-2 remains unavailable under the Final Action Dates chart.

What HR Should Do This Month

None of the data above predicts the outcome of a specific case. What it does support is a monthly discipline for tracking where every PERM case sits:

• 1
  Record the DOL snapshot date in your case tracker (for example, "analyst review as of 8/28/2026") rather than relying on a static timeline estimate.
• 2
  Identify which employees are in prevailing wage, recruitment, analyst review, and audit stages, and note the stage-specific queue date for each.
• 3
  Confirm upcoming recruitment, filing, and document deadlines with counsel, rather than back-calculating from a published average.
• 4
  Track PERM timing separately from I-140 readiness and Visa Bulletin availability. A PERM certification does not by itself mean a green card is available.
• 5
  Send affected employees a status update that names the next milestone, who owns it, and when you expect to review it next.

How to Check Case Status

• Check current PERM processing times at flag.dol.gov/processingtimes (updated at the end of the first work week each month)
• Use DOL's FLAG Case Status Search to check current PERM matters. For legacy PERM applications filed before May 31, 2023, DOL directs users to the legacy PERM Online System at plc.doleta.gov.
• Monitor the Visa Bulletin (typically released mid-month)

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Processing times change frequently. Check flag.dol.gov/processingtimes directly for the current month's data, and consult qualified immigration counsel before making sponsorship decisions for specific employees.