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 and a new Visa Bulletin for August 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 minimum salary required for the position, based on job title, location, and experience level.
• 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. The filing date becomes the employee's priority date.

How Long Does It Take?

DOL's processing-time data is a monthly snapshot, not a promise for an individual case. As of August 7, 2026, DOL reported an average of 372 days for PERM analyst review and was reviewing cases filed in September 2025. 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 8/7/2026.

Step 1: Prevailing Wage Determination

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, as of 6/30/2026. OEWS requests have moved forward one month since the June update.

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
• Print advertisements in a major regional newspaper on two different Sundays
• A worksite posting for ten consecutive business days
• Three additional recruitment steps from a prescribed list, for professional occupations

Recruitment timing runs on two separate clocks: the 30-day job order itself, and a required 30-day quiet period after the last recruitment step before the employer can file. Regulations require the mandatory recruitment steps to be completed at least 30 days, and no more than 180 days, before filing. In practice, once you factor in scheduling newspaper ad dates and reviewing applicant responses, the full process often takes 2 to 3 months.

Step 3: ETA Form 9089

Source: DOL FLAG Processing Times, as of 8/7/2026.

Possible outcomes at this stage:

• Approval
• Denial
• Audit (moves the case to a separate, slower review queue)

Visa Bulletin, August 2026

Final Action Dates

Dates for Filing

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

What moved since July: on the Final Action Dates chart, EB-1 China advanced one month, and EB-3 Rest of World and EB-3 China each advanced modestly. On the Dates for Filing chart, EB-3 China advanced a week, from January 1 to January 8, 2022; EB-2 and the rest of EB-3 held flat. India EB-2 remains unavailable on Final Action Dates, as it was in July.

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 8/7/2026") 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.