PERM processing times
From DOL's FLAG processing-times page, as of Oct 5, 2026. DOL updates it in the first week of each month.
| Analyst review | December 2025 filings |
|---|---|
| Audit review | December 2025 filings |
| Reconsideration requests | May 2026 appeals |
| Average processing time | 336 days, for August 2026 determinations |
| Prevailing wage (PERM) | June 2026 requests |
Source: flag.dol.gov/processingtimes. More: the prevailing wage queue and how to check your case status.
How fast the line moves
Over the last 90 days the analyst-review month moved 1.86 filing months per calendar month; over the last year, 1.35. Above 1, the wait is getting shorter.
Every FLAG update since November 2023
| As of | Analyst review | Audit review | Average days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 2026 | December 2025 | December 2025 | 336 (August 2026) |
| Sep 22, 2026 | December 2025 | December 2025 | 336 (August 2026) |
| Aug 28, 2026 | November 2025 | December 2025 | 336 (August 2026) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | July 2025 | December 2025 | 403 (June 2026) |
| Jun 30, 2026 | June 2025 | December 2025 | 403 (June 2026) |
| Apr 30, 2026 | February 2025 | November 2025 | 501 (March 2026) |
| Apr 23, 2026 | January 2025 | December 2025 | 501 (March 2026) |
| Mar 12, 2026 | November 2024 | June 2025 | 503 (February 2026) |
| Feb 9, 2026 | September 2024 | June 2025 | 512 (January 2026) |
| Jan 22, 2026 | September 2024 | December 2024 | 500 (December 2025) |
| Dec 1, 2025 | August 2024 | December 2024 | 496 (November 2025) |
| Sep 1, 2025 | June 2024 | – | 472 (August 2025) |
| Aug 14, 2025 | May 2024 | – | 483 (July 2025) |
| Jul 23, 2025 | April 2024 | – | 496 (June 2025) |
| Jun 9, 2025 | February 2024 | – | 500 (May 2025) |
| May 8, 2025 | January 2024 | – | 499 (April 2025) |
| Apr 30, 2025 | December 2023 | – | 499 (March 2025) |
| Mar 1, 2025 | November 2023 | – | 497 (February 2025) |
| Feb 1, 2025 | October 2023 | – | 489 (January 2025) |
| Jan 1, 2025 | September 2023 | – | 462 (December 2024) |
| Dec 1, 2024 | September 2023 | December 2022 | 468 (November 2024) |
| Nov 26, 2024 | August 2023 | December 2022 | 439 (October 2024) |
| Oct 15, 2024 | August 2023 | December 2022 | 428 (September 2024) |
| Sep 1, 2024 | August 2023 | December 2022 | 430 (August 2024) |
| Aug 1, 2024 | July 2023 | December 2022 | 407 (June 2024) |
| Jul 1, 2024 | June 2023 | December 2022 | 388 (June 2024) |
| Jun 30, 2024 | June 2023 | December 2022 | 388 (June 2024) |
| May 1, 2024 | May 2023 | December 2022 | 387 (March 2024) |
| Feb 29, 2024 | February 2023 | December 2022 | 401 (February 2024) |
| Dec 31, 2023 | January 2023 | December 2022 | 363 (December 2023) |
| Nov 30, 2023 | December 2022 | August 2022 | 346 (November 2023) |
Earlier updates come from the Internet Archive's copies of the FLAG page.
Decisions per week
From DOL's PERM disclosure data: 259,489 cases decided Oct 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2026, of which 241,779 were certified, 6,379 denied and 11,331 withdrawn. DOL publishes this file once a quarter, so it trails the FLAG page.
How each filing month was decided
| Filed | Certified | Denied | Median days | Half decided by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | 4,238 | 149 | 381 | Jun 26, 2026 |
| May 2025 | 7,520 | 263 | 396 | Jun 15, 2026 |
| April 2025 | 7,115 | 258 | 413 | Jun 3, 2026 |
| March 2025 | 6,618 | 202 | 433 | May 21, 2026 |
| February 2025 | 6,175 | 241 | 450 | May 11, 2026 |
| January 2025 | 5,955 | 169 | 468 | Apr 30, 2026 |
| December 2024 | 9,401 | 270 | 486 | Apr 14, 2026 |
| November 2024 | 9,449 | 333 | 495 | Mar 24, 2026 |
| October 2024 | 11,771 | 259 | 500 | Feb 27, 2026 |
| September 2024 | 10,814 | 227 | 506 | Feb 4, 2026 |
| August 2024 | 11,685 | 246 | 510 | Jan 10, 2026 |
| July 2024 | 10,911 | 293 | 498 | Nov 25, 2025 |
| June 2024 | 12,661 | 676 | 457 | Sep 17, 2025 |
| May 2024 | 11,862 | 442 | 464 | Aug 22, 2025 |
| April 2024 | 10,037 | 377 | 474 | Aug 1, 2025 |
| March 2024 | 9,690 | 288 | 484 | Jul 11, 2025 |
| February 2024 | 10,870 | 201 | 491 | Jun 18, 2025 |
| January 2024 | 10,913 | 232 | 495 | May 27, 2025 |
| December 2023 | 13,585 | 263 | 498 | Apr 26, 2025 |
| November 2023 | 14,045 | 207 | 498 | Mar 27, 2025 |
| October 2023 | 11,397 | 122 | 497 | Feb 26, 2025 |
| September 2023 | 17,673 | 164 | 483 | Jan 15, 2025 |
| August 2023 | 14,226 | 217 | 453 | Nov 14, 2024 |
| July 2023 | 2,160 | 121 | 462 | Oct 24, 2024 |
| June 2023 | 931 | 141 | 494 | Oct 24, 2024 |
Months with at least 1,000 decisions in the data. The most recent months are still being decided, so their counts grow with each quarterly file.
How the estimate works
DOL reviews PERM cases close to filing order, and FLAG names the filing month its analysts are on. The estimate measures how far your filing date is behind that month, then projects it forward at two paces: the last 90 days and the last year. The window runs from the faster to the slower one, with 30 days added at each end.
We tested this against every FLAG update since November 2023 and the actual decision dates in DOL's FY2025 and FY2026 data. For filing months one month past DOL's posted month, 17 of 19 windows held the actual median decision, and the middle of the window was off by a median of 6 days. Two months out: 16 of 19, 19 days. Three months out: 12 of 18, 38 days. Four to six months out, only about half, because DOL's pace keeps changing.
The estimate covers analyst review. Audited cases and cases sent back for more information follow other queues.