US Green Card applicants face year-long PERM wait as backlog persists
PERM, prevailing wage timelines updated: What US Green Card applicants should know
 "US Green Card applicants face year-long PERM wait as backlog persists")
Indian professionals pursuing US employment-based Green Cards continue to face prolonged processing delays, with the US Department of Labor (DOL) now reviewing PERM labour certification applications filed in June 2025 or earlier, highlighting a backlog of about one year.
According to the latest processing update released by the DOL, as of June 30, 2026, analysts were reviewing PERM applications submitted in June 2025, while applications selected for audit were being processed only if they had been filed by December 2025.
The update offers the latest snapshot of processing timelines for employers sponsoring foreign workers for permanent residency through the PERM labour certification programme—the first major step in most employment-based Green Card applications.
What is PERM?
PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) is the labour certification process through which US employers demonstrate that no qualified American worker is available for a particular position before sponsoring a foreign national for permanent residence.
The approved labour certification is generally required before an employer can file an I-140 immigrant petition, making PERM processing one of the most critical stages in the employment-based Green Card journey.
Audit cases take even longer
The DOL said it is currently reviewing audit cases filed in December 2025 or earlier.
Applications selected for audit typically undergo additional scrutiny, requiring employers to submit recruitment records and supporting documentation, often extending overall processing timelines.
The department is also handling reconsideration requests filed in February 2026 or earlier.
Prevailing wage processing moves faster
The update indicates comparatively quicker movement in prevailing wage determinations (PWDs), another prerequisite for many employment-based immigration filings.
As of June 30, the department was issuing prevailing wage determinations for:
PERM and H-1B applications filed in April 2026 under the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) wage system.
Non-OEWS prevailing wage requests filed in March 2026.
The department is also processing:
- Prevailing wage redetermination requests filed in April 2026, and
- PERM Center Director Review requests submitted in May 2026.
Why the update matters
For thousands of Indian professionals sponsored by US employers, PERM processing is often the first formal milestone in obtaining an employment-based Green Card.
Lengthy PERM timelines can delay subsequent immigration steps, including I-140 petitions and adjustment of status applications, potentially extending the overall path to permanent residency.
The latest DOL update comes as the Trump administration is simultaneously considering broader reforms to employment-based immigration, including revisions to PERM recruitment requirements, prevailing wage calculations, and H-1B regulations, proposals that could further reshape employer sponsorship processes in the coming months.
The latest processing reports are available on the Department of Labor's Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) portal.