DOL Reports 336-Day Average for PERM Processing

DOL’s latest data shows PERM cases averaging 336 days, offering employers and foreign professionals a new planning benchmark for employment-based green card sponsorship. The figures, current through August 31, 2026, also show which filing months the agency is reviewing for prevailing wage and PERM applications.

Wage Requests Reach May

The Department of Labor’s National Prevailing Wage Center reported that it was processing PERM prevailing wage requests filed in May 2026. That filing month applied to requests using both Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data and non-OEWS sources, including eligible private wage surveys.

The agency was also reviewing PERM prevailing wage redetermination requests submitted in June 2026. A redetermination may be requested when an employer challenges aspects of an issued wage determination through the available administrative process.

A prevailing wage determination establishes the minimum wage level associated with the sponsored position and work location. Employers generally must receive a valid determination before filing a PERM labor certification application, making this stage an important part of the overall sponsorship timeline.

PERM Review Moves Forward

For PERM labor certification applications, analyst review has advanced to November 2025 filings. The Labor Department reported that applications completed through analyst review in August 2026 took an average of 336 calendar days.

The audit review queue was handling cases filed in December 2025, while reconsideration requests submitted to a certifying officer had reached April 2026. The agency did not publish an average audit processing time in this update.

These queue dates identify the filing months currently under review; they are not guaranteed completion estimates. The Labor Department notes that it may still be processing older applications and that individual timelines can vary based on the facts and circumstances of each case.

Planning Around The Wait

PERM is commonly used by employers sponsoring workers in employment-based green card categories, including many EB-2 and EB-3 cases. Before filing, the employer typically obtains the prevailing wage and completes required recruitment intended to test the U.S. labor market.

For international professionals, a lengthy PERM timeline can delay later stages such as the Form I-140 immigrant petition and, when a visa number is available, the permanent residence application. Students and employees considering sponsorship should understand that the employer controls the PERM filing and must meet detailed recruitment, documentation, and deadline requirements.

Employers may benefit from beginning the process early, monitoring the Labor Department’s monthly updates, and coordinating immigration planning with the employee’s current work authorization. The published figures are useful benchmarks, but they cannot predict the outcome or completion date of a particular case.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.

Sources

• Processing Times — U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (August 31, 2026)
• DOL Update: PWD and PERM Processing Times, September 2026 — Reddy Neumann Brown PC (September 15, 2026)