"PERM takes 12–18 months."
You've probably heard this from your employer or attorney. The reality is both simpler and more complicated: simpler because the actual average is well-documented in public data, more complicated because that average obscures wide variation depending on your situation.
We analyzed 279,666 PERM cases from DOL disclosure data. Here's what PERM processing actually looks like right now.
Current PERM Processing Times
Based on PermTrack data through FY2026 Q1:
| Fiscal Year | Avg Processing Days | Avg Processing Months |
|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 388 days | ~13 months |
| FY2025 | 458 days | ~15 months |
| FY2026 (Q1, partial) | 312 days* | — |
*FY2026 Q1 cases are still early — most are not yet decided. The average will rise as cases age.
The key trend: processing time increased by 70 days (18%) from FY2024 to FY2025. This means workers who file PERM today should plan for a minimum of 15 months, with no guarantee of improvement.
What "Processing Time" Actually Measures
The processing time in PermTrack is calculated from the received date (when the DOL stamps the application as accepted) to the decision date (Certified, Denied, or Withdrawn). It does not include:
- Time to prepare the PERM application before filing
- The prevailing wage determination (PWD) period, which precedes the actual PERM filing and currently takes 3–5 months
- Time after PERM approval to file I-140
The full PERM stage of the green card process — from starting the prevailing wage request to receiving the PERM approval — realistically takes 18–22 months end to end when you include PWD time.
What Affects Your Processing Time
1. Audit Selection (~20% of Cases)
The DOL randomly selects approximately 20% of PERM applications for supervised recruitment (audit). Audited cases take significantly longer — typically an additional 6–12 months on top of the standard processing time.
You cannot predict whether your case will be audited. But some factors correlate with higher audit rates:
- Occupations with high denial rates nationally
- Wages that are close to (but meeting) the prevailing wage floor
- Cases with nonstandard job requirements
There is also a separate "supervised recruitment" pathway for cases that raise DOL concerns upfront, which takes even longer.
2. Employer Alphabetical Order (Yes, Really)
This is one of the most counterintuitive facts about PERM: the DOL processes cases partly in alphabetical order by employer name within each filing period. An employer whose name starts with "A" has historically had shorter processing times than one starting with "W."
This effect has diminished as the DOL has updated its processing systems, but it still shows up in the data. You can explore processing time by employer at permtrack.app/employers.
3. Occupation
Some occupations have higher audit rates than others. IT consulting positions, particularly those with "any employer location" language or unusual special requirements, tend to face more scrutiny. Standard professional occupations (engineers, accountants, nurses) typically move through the standard track.
You can filter by occupation at permtrack.app/cases to see historical processing times for your specific SOC code.
4. State
Worksite state affects processing time modestly. Cases with worksites in high-volume states (California, Texas, New York) don't appear to process significantly slower than lower-volume states in recent data — the DOL processes cases nationally, not by region. But state does affect the prevailing wage determination, which precedes the PERM filing.
5. Fiscal Year Filed
The DOL's workload varies by fiscal year. FY2025 cases are processing significantly slower than FY2024. This may reflect increased filings following the end of COVID-related disruptions, changes in DOL staffing, or shifts in audit selection rates.
The PERM Processing Speed Tracker
One of the most practical questions a PERM applicant can ask is: "What date are they up to? Are they getting closer to my filing date?"
PermTrack's Overview dashboard shows a processing time trend chart — you can see how average processing days have moved month by month. When the line is declining, the DOL is catching up. When it's rising, the queue is growing.
How to Track Your Specific Case
The DOL does not provide a public case tracker like USCIS does. To check your case status, you need to:
- Contact your attorney — they can access iCERT, the DOL's case management system
- Use the DOL's own case status check at flag.dol.gov (requires your case number)
- If your case is taking significantly longer than average, your attorney can file an expedite request under specific circumstances (though these are rarely granted for PERM)
PermTrack can't show you your individual case status — only the DOL has that. But it can show you whether your case's age is normal given when it was filed and who your employer is.
What to Do While You Wait
PERM processing time is almost entirely outside your control. The DOL processes cases when they process them. But there are things worth doing:
Make sure your file is audit-ready. If your case is audited (20% chance), your employer will have 30 days to respond with documentation of the entire recruitment process. That documentation should be organized and ready now, not when the audit letter arrives.
Don't change jobs during PERM. Leaving the sponsoring employer before PERM approval generally means starting over. There are narrow exceptions under AC21 portability, but they require a pending I-485 — which requires an approved I-140, which requires an approved PERM. In other words, AC21 doesn't help you during the PERM stage.
Track your priority date separately from your PERM. Your priority date is the date your PERM was received by the DOL — not the date it's approved. This is important for Visa Bulletin purposes. Even if your PERM is still pending, your priority date is already established.
Use PermTrack to stay informed. The Dashboard shows processing time trends updated quarterly. The Employer page shows your employer's historical performance. Knowing the context helps.
Bottom Line
Plan for 15 months. Hope for 12. Prepare for 18–20 if your case is audited.
The trend is not encouraging — FY2025 processing times are significantly longer than FY2024. Whether FY2026 improves depends on DOL staffing levels and application volume, which are hard to predict.
What you can control: make sure your employer filed correctly, your documentation is organized, and your attorney is monitoring the case.
→ Track current PERM processing trends at permtrack.app → See your employer's historical processing times at permtrack.app/employers
PermTrack uses public domain data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC). Processing time figures are calculated from received date to decision date for decided cases and may not reflect cases still pending. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.