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Current PERM Processing Times: 2025 Updates and Insights

This guide breaks down the PERM process timeline, providing essential insights for 2025 and beyond. Whether you're an employer sponsoring a foreign worker or an individual pursuing permanent residency, understanding current processing times is vital for effective planning and management of your case.

Current DOL PERM Processing Times
 
Certain Employment Based Green Card applicants need to go through the process of Permanent Labor Certification, popularly called as PERM, before they start the Green Card application (Form I-140) with USCIS. As part of the Green Card Process, such applicants need to file the PERM Labor Certification Applications, including prevailing wage determination (PWD) applications with US Department of Labor (DOL). Due to the complexity of the PERM process, the processing times of PERM and PWDs can be long. 
 
Below are the current US Department of Labor PERM processing times. We update this page regularly to get the latest snapshot of PERM processing times based on both US DOL data as well as the daily feed data from  PERM filings and PWD applications. Also, the bottom of the page has more information on the overall PERM process and commonly asked questions around PERM.

Stay Informed: Current PERM Processing Times

PERM Processing Time (Normal )

PERM Processing Time (Audit)

Currently Processing Applications from (Normal )

Currently Processing Applications from (Audit)

Analyst Review 

Analyst Review 

483 days (15 months, 28 days)

N/A

Apr 2024

July 2024

DOL Update Date: Aug 15, 2025
Last Checked: November 2025

DOL Update Date: Aug 15, 2025
Last Checked: November 2025

DOL Update Date: Aug 15, 2025
Last Checked: November 2025

DOL Update Date: Aug 15, 2025
Last Checked: November 2025

Current DOL PERM Processing Times

Total
Pending
Audited
Approved
Denied
Withdrawn
Apr-2025
8405
8,216 ( 97.75 % )
0
0
0
189
Mar-2025
7451
7,281 ( 97.72 % )
0
0
0
170
Feb-2025
6961
6,853 ( 98.45 % )
0
0
0
141
Jan-2025
6743
6,531 ( 96.86 % )
0
0
0
212
Dec-2024
10623
10,423 ( 98.12 % )
0
1
0
199
Nov-2024
10629
10,380 ( 97.45 % )
0
0
0
271
Oct-2024
12922
12,609 ( 97.58 % )
0
0
0
313
Sep-2024
11819
11,512 ( 97.40 % )
0
0
0
307
Aug-2024
12807
12,388 ( 96.76 % )
0
10
0
405
Jul-2024
12042
11,662 ( 96.84 % )
0
0
0
380
Jun-2024
14199
13,724 ( 96.65 % )
0
3
0
472
May-2024
13207
12,751 ( 96.55 % )
0
0
0
456
Apr-2024
11024
10,648 ( 96.56 % )
0
0
0
376
Mar-2024
10534
10,162 ( 96.47 % )
0
0
0
372
Feb-2024
11725
11,251 ( 95.96 % )
0
0
0
478
Jan-2024
11874
11,189 ( 94.23 % )
0
0
0
685
Dec-2023
14545
13,860 ( 95.29 % )
0
0
0
685

Submission month case status rates

How to read the table? It shows the percentage of Approved, Audited, Denied, Withdrawn, and Pending perms filed in the months currently under processing by DOL. At present, DOL is actively handling perm applications submitted in the months of June 2023 and May 2023 which will be highlighted with light blue background if you expand the table

30% percentile
50% percentile
80% percentile
≤ 488 days
≤ 496 days
≤ 509 days

Number of days for approval in the past 30 days

How to read the table? It shows the processing time of the cases that are approved in the past 30 days. For example, if it is 377 days for the 30% percentile, it means that 30% of approved cases in the past 30 days have been pending for 377 days or less.

Predicting PERM Processing Time

If you are an applicant, you may be curious to check the status of your PERM application with US Department of Labor (DOL). Unfortunately, you as an applicant cannot check the PERM Status online, while it is pending with DOL. Only the Employer or attorney can login to the PERM case management system at website https://www.plc.doleta.gov and check your PERM application status.

While applicants cannot directly check the status of their pending PERM application with the DOL, they can use historical processing data to estimate the timeline. Tools like those offered by H1BGrader.com can predict approximate processing times based on filing dates.

Green Card PERM Labor Certification Processing Queue

Every month the US Department of Labor(DOL) publishes data on the total number of PERM Labor Certification(LC) applications that are processed along with the total number of PERM LC applications received by them. They also give data on how many applications are pending from each of the previous months. Based on this data, we can understand the overall processing speed, which month applications they are currently working on, including how many PERM LC applications are in the queue and yet to be processed.

The below chart and table shows the workload of the Green Card PERM Labor Certification (LC) processing queue by the US DOL, indicating how many are pending from the previous months. If you filed your PERM LC in a particular month, you can understand if the US DOL is currently working on your application or not

Processing Times for Top Green Card PERM Labor Certification (LC) Sponsors

The below table shows the top Green Card Sponsoring companies that filed for PERM Labor Certifications for their employees. It shows the total number of PERM applications (without Withdrawals) they filed and the average processing time it took for the same. You can click on the company's links to dig deeper into the processing times distribution at the company by the submitted month and other metrics.

Company
Number of Cases
Average Processing Time (days)
Microsoft Corporation
1832
479
Fpl Food LLC
1307
478
Apple INC
1238
463
Consolidated Catfish Producers LLC
1071
481
Management Health Systems LLC
1042
476
JCG Foods of Georgia LLC
968
490
Intel Corporation
871
446
Akash Management LLC
836
478
Oracle America INC
808
481
South Georgia Pecan Company
768
493

Total Pending Request 

168,985

DOL Update Date: Jun 24, 2025
Last Checked: November 2025

This guide covers the latest updates on PERM processing times, detailing each stage of the application process and offering strategies to manage potential delays. It includes information on prevailing wage determinations, recruitment periods, and Department of Labor reviews. The guide aims to provide knowledge for setting realistic expectations and making informed decisions, along with expert analysis and practical tips for navigating the PERM process in 2024

Step-by-Step PERM Case Timeline

Frequently asked questions

1. Initiate Case ( 1 week )
The process begins when the employer initiates the case. This involves gathering necessary documentation and information to proceed with the PERM application.
 
2. NOJO (Notice of Job Opportunity) ( 1 week)
Within a week, the employer must approve the NOJO. This notice details the job opportunity and is crucial for the next steps.
 
3. Employment Verification Letters (Variable)
Employees must confirm and provide employment verification letters. The duration of this step varies, depending on how quickly employees can gather and submit these letters. Once submitted, the PWD (Prevailing Wage Determination) is filed within 24-48 hours after review and attorney sign-off.
 
4. Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD) (6-7 months)
PWDs are currently taking about 6-7 months with the Department of Labor (DOL). This step is crucial as it determines the minimum wage the employer must offer for the job role.
 
5. Recruitment Process (2-3 months)
The recruitment process lasts 2-3 months and includes a mandatory 1-month cooling-off period and time to complete resume reviews. This step ensures that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position.
 
6. PERM Filing and Processing (13 months)
If the labor market test is successful and no qualified U.S. workers are found, the PERM application can be filed. Currently, PERM applications are taking about 13 months to be certified by the DOL.
 
7. Post-Certification Steps (4-6 months)
Once the PERM certification is obtained, the I-140 petition is filed within 2-3 weeks. The I-140 petition approval takes approximately 4-6 months via regular processing, with an option for premium processing to expedite this step.

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