The U.S. Department of Labor’s latest processing update shows that PERM applications decided during the 30-day reporting period took an average of 300 calendar days in analyst review—approximately 10 months.
The data is current through October 31, 2026. It also shows the Department of Labor processing prevailing wage requests filed as recently as July or August 2026, depending on the wage source and immigration program. These timelines matter to F-1, OPT, and H-1B professionals whose employers are sponsoring them for employment-based permanent residence. (flag.dol.gov)
The Department of Labor now reports PERM analyst-review averages across three rolling periods:
| Reporting period | Average PERM processing time |
|---|---|
| Last 30 days | 300 calendar days |
| Last 90 days | 315 calendar days |
| Last 180 days | 360 calendar days |
These figures represent averages for completed determinations, not guaranteed decision times for pending applications. A case can take longer or shorter depending on its facts and whether additional review is required.
The latest FLAG page does not publish average processing times for audits or supervised recruitment because those queues represent a small percentage of the total PERM workload. It also no longer displays an analyst-review filing month in the same format used in earlier updates. Readers therefore should not use the 300-day average to calculate an exact decision date. (flag.dol.gov)
For comparison, Day1CPT.org’s October 2026 PERM processing report covered the earlier data format and a 336-day average for determinations completed in August.
The latest prevailing wage determination, or PWD, queues are:
| Processing category | Receipt month being processed |
|---|---|
| PERM PWD using OEWS data | August 2026 |
| PERM PWD using non-OEWS data | July 2026 |
| H-1B PWD using OEWS data | July 2026 |
| H-1B PWD using non-OEWS data | July 2026 |
| PERM prevailing wage redeterminations | August 2026 |
| H-1B prevailing wage redeterminations | September 2026 |
OEWS refers to Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. The Department of Labor cautions that it may still be completing some requests filed before the month displayed. Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the pending totals, so those totals can also change between updates. (flag.dol.gov)
A Department of Labor-issued prevailing wage determination is required before an employer can file a PERM application. For H-1B cases, employers may request a determination from the National Prevailing Wage Center or use another permissible wage source when preparing the Labor Condition Application. (flag.dol.gov)
The 300-day figure covers only the Department of Labor’s PERM analyst-review stage. It does not include the earlier prevailing wage and recruitment stages or later immigration filings.
A typical PERM-based sponsorship process includes:
A certified PERM labor certification remains valid for 180 days and expires if it is not submitted to USCIS with the relevant immigrant petition during that period. (dol.gov)
Students and professionals who want a broader explanation of the immigration stages can review Day1CPT.org’s guide to moving from F-1 status to a green card.
The November processing update does not change the rules for F-1 status, Curricular Practical Training, Optional Practical Training, STEM OPT, or H-1B employment.
A pending PERM application is part of an employer-sponsored permanent residence process. It does not automatically provide employment authorization or extend a worker’s current immigration status. Certain H-1B workers may qualify separately for extensions beyond the usual six-year limit under specific statutory requirements, but those extensions require an eligible H-1B filing and are not automatic merely because a PERM case is pending. (uscis.gov)
Workers should ask their employer or immigration team which stage the case has reached:
Because the published numbers are agency-wide averages, case-specific questions should be directed to the sponsoring employer and its immigration counsel.
The latest 30-day average is 300 calendar days for PERM applications receiving analyst-review determinations. It is not a guaranteed timeline for every pending case. The 90-day average is 315 days, while the 180-day average is 360 days.
No. Prevailing wage processing occurs before the employer files the PERM application. Recruitment, preparation, USCIS processing, and visa availability can also make the complete employment-based green card timeline considerably longer.
As of October 31, 2026, DOL reported processing August 2026 PERM prevailing wage requests using OEWS data and July 2026 requests using non-OEWS sources. The displayed month does not mean every request from an earlier month has been completed.
No. A pending PERM application does not independently extend F-1 status, OPT, or STEM OPT employment authorization. Students must continue meeting applicable F-1 requirements and should discuss status or employment questions with their designated school official and qualified immigration counsel.
The Department of Labor’s FLAG Case Status Search accepts PERM case numbers and prevailing wage request numbers. Case-specific information may also be available through the employer’s FLAG account. (flag.dol.gov)