If you are searching for a PERM status check, the official place to start is the U.S. Department of Laborās Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system. PERM, or Program Electronic Review Management, is the labor certification process used by employers for many employment-based green card cases, particularly EB-2 and EB-3 cases.
As of the latest Department of Labor update available in September 2026, PERM cases in Analyst Review are generally being adjudicated around the November 2025 filing period, while cases in Audit Review are around December 2025. The DOL reported an average processing time of 336 calendar days for Analyst Review in August 2026.
Here is how to check a PERM case, what the different results mean, and how to understand the latest processing information.
What Is a PERM Status Check?
A PERM status check lets an employer, authorized representative, or eligible user determine where a permanent labor certification application stands with the Department of Labor.
The PERM application is filed using Form ETA-9089. It is an important stage in many employment-based permanent residence cases because an approved labor certification can be used as part of the subsequent Form I-140 process.
The DOL operates the FLAG system, which includes a Case Status Search tool covering PERM applications filed through the system. The official search accepts PERM case numbers and also supports several other foreign labor certification programs.
How to Check PERM Status Online
The easiest way to perform a PERM status check is through the official DOL FLAG Case Status Search.
Step 1: Find Your PERM Case Number
You generally need the complete PERM case number to search for a specific application. A typical case number begins with the letter G and contains several groups of numbers.
Your employer, immigration attorney, or authorized representative should have the case information associated with the ETA-9089 filing.
Step 2: Open the DOL FLAG Case Status Search
Go to the official DOL FLAG Case Status Search.
The DOL says users can enter up to 30 case numbers at one time. The search currently supports PERM applications filed using ETA Form 9089, along with several other foreign labor certification programs.
Step 3: Enter the Full Case Number
Enter the complete PERM case number, including the dashes, and submit the search.
The DOL introduced the ability for external filers to search PERM case status through FLAG in 2023.
Step 4: Review the Result
The information returned by FLAG can help determine whether the application has reached a decision or remains under processing.
For a pending case, however, applicants should not assume that a public search result provides the same detailed information available to the employer or authorized attorney through the employer’s account.
Can Employees Check Their Own PERM Status?
This is one of the most common questions surrounding a PERM status check.
The PERM process is employer-sponsored, and the employer or its authorized immigration representative generally manages the filing. Employees may therefore need to ask their employer or immigration attorney for detailed information about a pending application.
The public FLAG Case Status Search is nevertheless available for PERM cases and allows a case number to be searched. The DOL specifically identifies PERM as one of the programs covered by the online Case Status Search.
If you cannot obtain a useful status from the public search, ask your employer or immigration attorney for:
- Your PERM case number
- The ETA-9089 filing date
- The current case status
- Whether the case was selected for audit
- Whether DOL has issued a decision
- Whether any response or additional documentation is required
Latest PERM Processing Times in September 2026
The most important information for people waiting for a PERM decision is the DOL’s official processing-time data.
According to the latest FLAG update, based on information through August 31, 2026, the DOL’s PERM queues were:
| PERM Processing Queue | Current Filing Period |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | November 2025 |
| Audit Review | December 2025 |
| Reconsideration Request to the Certifying Officer | April 2026 |
The DOL reported an average of 336 calendar days for PERM applications in Analyst Review during August 2026. It did not publish an August average for Audit Review.
These figures are not guarantees for individual applications. The DOL specifically warns that actual processing times can vary depending on the facts and circumstances of a particular case.
What Does the PERM Processing Date Mean?
The processing date is useful for understanding the general position of your case in the DOL queue.
For example, if your PERM was filed in early 2026 and the DOL is currently working on cases filed in November 2025, your application may still have additional waiting time before it reaches the analyst review stage.
However, the published processing month should not be treated as an individual prediction.
The DOL explains that it may sometimes complete applications filed earlier than the month shown because of differences between individual cases and processing circumstances.
What Is the Current PERM Processing Time?
The latest official figure shows an average Analyst Review processing time of 336 calendar days for August 2026.
That works out to roughly 11 months.
However, the overall PERM timeline can be longer because the labor certification process involves more than the final analyst review. An employer may first need a prevailing wage determination and must complete the required recruitment process before filing the ETA-9089.
Cases selected for audit can take longer than standard cases because the employer must respond to the Department of Labor’s audit requirements.
For this reason, applicants should avoid treating the 336-day figure as a guaranteed approval date. The DOL itself states that individual processing times may differ from the published average.
PERM Status: What Happens After Filing?
After the employer completes the required preparation and files the ETA-9089, the application enters the DOL process.
A PERM case may eventually result in certification, denial, withdrawal, or additional review such as an audit.
An audit does not automatically mean the application will be denied. Instead, it means the Department of Labor has requested additional information or documentation for review.
If an audit is issued, the employer and its immigration counsel should carefully follow the response instructions and applicable deadline.
What Happens If PERM Is Certified?
A successful PERM certification is an important milestone, but it is not the green card itself.
Once the labor certification is approved, the employer generally moves to the next stage of the employment-based immigration process, which can include filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with USCIS.
There is an important deadline after certification.
USCIS states that approved labor certifications are valid for 180 days from the certification date and that USCIS must receive the I-140 petition based on the labor certification before that validity period expires.
That means employers and immigration attorneys should pay close attention to the certification date once a PERM case is approved.
What If Your PERM Case Is Taking Longer Than Expected?
A delayed PERM case does not necessarily indicate a problem.
The DOL currently reports a substantial PERM queue, with Analyst Review reaching the November 2025 filing period as of August 31, 2026.
If your application appears significantly older than the processing month published by DOL, you may have additional options.
The Department of Labor says that if a PERM application was filed more than three months before the month currently posted, the filer may contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk to request a status update.
This does not mean every older case will immediately be decided. It simply provides a channel for obtaining information when a case appears to be outside the agency’s published processing window.
PERM vs. PWD: Do Not Confuse the Two
A Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD) and a PERM application are separate stages.
Before filing the PERM application, the employer generally obtains a prevailing wage determination from the Department of Labor. Recruitment requirements then have to be completed before the ETA-9089 is submitted.
The latest DOL data shows that, as of August 31, 2026, PERM prevailing wage requests based on both OEWS and non-OEWS sources were being processed around May 2026.
Therefore, if your employer tells you that your “PERM is pending,” it can be useful to confirm whether the case is actually waiting for a prevailing wage determination or whether the ETA-9089 has already been filed.
Is There a PERM Status Check Without a Case Number?
A specific case search is much easier when you have the DOL case number.
If you do not have it, contact your employer’s HR department, immigration department, or attorney handling the employment-based immigration case.
You can also use the DOL’s published processing-time information to understand which filing periods are currently being reviewed, but that information does not provide a personalized approval date. The DOL publishes queue months and average processing times rather than promising an exact decision date for every case.
What Is the Official Website for a PERM Status Check?
The official source is the U.S. Department of Labor’s FLAG system.
For individual case searches, use the FLAG Case Status Search.
For current processing-time information, use the DOL FLAG Processing Times page.
These official DOL resources should take priority over third-party PERM trackers when determining the current agency processing position. Third-party websites can provide useful estimates or explanations, but they should not replace the government’s own case-status and processing-time information.
Bottom Line on PERM Status Check
For anyone searching perm status check, the best approach is to use the Department of Labor’s FLAG system and have the complete PERM case number available. As of the latest September 2026 information, DOL was reporting November 2025 for Analyst Review, December 2025 for Audit Review, and an average Analyst Review processing time of 336 calendar days for August 2026.
Because PERM processing can change from month to month, a case that is still pending today may move into a different processing queue in the next DOL update. Applicants should also remember that PERM approval is only one stage of the employment-based green card process, and an approved labor certification must generally be used for the I-140 process within its 180-day validity period.
Have you recently checked your PERM status? Share your filing month and latest update in the comments, and stay tuned for the next DOL processing-time update.