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PERM case status: how to check it and what it means

Short answer

Check a PERM case on the Department of Labor's FLAG Case Status Search (flag.dol.gov/case-status-search) with the case number, which looks like G-100-12345-123456. DOL's FLAG pages call a case under review In Process, and its public disclosure data list the outcomes Certified, Denied, Withdrawn and Certified-Expired. As of Oct. 31, 2026, DOL took an average of 300 calendar days to decide PERM cases in the last 30 days. By our arithmetic, that points to cases filed around early January 2026.

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FLAG is the Department of Labor’s system for labor certifications. Anyone with a PERM case number can check its status there, with no account. This page covers how to search, what each status means and how to tell how far along a case is. For the full timeline from the prevailing wage request to the green card, see PERM processing time.

How to check a PERM case on FLAG

  1. Get the case number from the employer or its attorney. The employer files PERM, so the worker often doesn’t have the number. A PERM case number looks like G-100-12345-123456. A prevailing wage request has its own number, which starts with “P-”.
  2. Open the FLAG Case Status Search. Type the number, one per line. You can search up to 30 cases at once.
  3. Search. DOL says the search includes automated verification to prevent abuse. The result shows the status of each case.

For a PERM application filed before May 31, 2023, the search page sends you to DOL’s older system at plc.doleta.gov.

If the employer filed through a FLAG account, the people on that account also see the case under My Cases. The FLAG FAQ says that open cases are in the Submitted Cases table, and cases with a final decision move to the Historical table. If the PERM is certified, an authorized user can get a copy of the certification right away (FLAG PERM page).

What each PERM status means

FLAG doesn’t publish a glossary of every status. These are the ones DOL names in its FLAG FAQ and in the PERM disclosure data record layout. The status you see in the search may be worded a little differently:

StatusWhere DOL uses itWhat it means for you
Pre-submittedFLAG FAQ, for a FLAG account right after filingThe case is waiting for its number. DOL says this usually takes under 15 minutes.
Submitted / In ProcessFLAG FAQ and processing times pageDOL has the case and has not decided. This is where most of the wait happens.
CertifiedPERM disclosure dataDOL approved the labor certification. The employer can file the I-140.
DeniedPERM disclosure dataDOL refused it. The employer decides whether to ask for review or start over.
WithdrawnPERM disclosure dataThe employer withdrew it. The FLAG FAQ says filers can withdraw a case that is In Process.
Certified-ExpiredPERM disclosure dataDOL’s files list this status. Under 20 CFR 656.30, a certification expires if no I-140 is filed with it within 180 calendar days.

DOL’s processing times page also mentions two other queues, audit and supervised recruitment. DOL doesn’t publish their times “due to the significantly small percentage those cases represent,” so a case in either one can take longer than the averages below.

How far along is your case

DOL publishes one figure for the PERM queue: the average calendar days to a determination for the cases it decided recently (FLAG Processing Times, as of Oct. 31, 2026).

Cases decided in the last…Average waitFiled around (our math)
30 days300 daysearly January 2026
90 days315 dayslate December 2025
180 days360 daysearly November 2025

The “filed around” column is our arithmetic: Oct. 31, 2026 minus the average. It is not a DOL date.

To place your own case, count the days from the filing date to today (ask the employer or its attorney if you don’t have it). Then compare with 300 days. The table below does it from the first of each month, as of Nov. 4, 2026. It is a reference point, not a forecast: the average moves every month.

Submitted onDays by Nov 4, 2026Day 300 falls on
Nov 1, 2025368Aug 28, 2026
Dec 1, 2025338Sep 27, 2026
Jan 1, 2026307Oct 28, 2026
Feb 1, 2026276Nov 28, 2026
Mar 1, 2026248Dec 26, 2026
Apr 1, 2026217Jan 26, 2027

DOL updates these figures at the end of the first work week of each month, so check the page again in early December.

Before PERM: the prevailing wage request

The employer needs a prevailing wage determination (PWD) before filing PERM. Its status shows on the same FLAG search, under the “P-” number. As of Sep. 30, 2026, DOL was working on PERM wage requests received in June 2026, both OEWS and non-OEWS. Redeterminations and Center Director reviews were at July 2026.

The same FLAG page lists how many PERM wage requests were still open, by month received:

Received inRequests still open (as of Sep 30, 2026)
April 20268
May 202636
June 20263,532
July 202615,959
August 202614,980
September 202614,519

DOL notes that withdrawn and voided requests are left out, so the counts for past months can change.

After a PERM decision

  • Certified: the employer files the I-140 with USCIS. The certification is valid for 180 days (20 CFR 656.30). USCIS took a median of 3.9 months to decide I-140s in April to June 2026. With premium processing the clock is 15 business days for most I-140 categories and 45 for E13 and E21 national interest waiver petitions. The fee is $2,965 on the current G-1055. More on I-140 processing time.
  • Denied or withdrawn: the employer and its attorney decide the next step. DOL’s rules for review are in 20 CFR Part 656.
  • Still in process: if you hold an H-1B, see H-1B for extensions while you wait. Once the I-140 is approved and your date is current, the next stage is the I-485. You can then follow it with green card status. The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my PERM case status?

Go to the FLAG Case Status Search at flag.dol.gov/case-status-search, enter the case number (for example G-100-12345-123456) and search. You can enter up to 30 case numbers at once, one per line, and the result shows the status of each case. For a PERM filed before May 31, 2023, DOL points to its older site, plc.doleta.gov.

What does "In Process" mean for a PERM case?

DOL has the case and has not issued a final determination. As of Oct. 31, 2026, PERM cases decided in the last 30 days had waited an average of 300 calendar days, and 360 days over the last 180 days.

Can I check PERM status without the case number?

Not on the public search: it asks for the case number. The employer files PERM, so ask the employer or its attorney for the number. A filer with a FLAG account also sees its cases under My Cases.

My PERM was filed 10 months ago. Is that normal?

Yes, by DOL's own figures. Ten months is about 300 days, which is the average for cases decided in the 30 days to Oct. 31, 2026. The 180-day average was 360 days, so many cases take close to a year.

What happens after PERM is certified?

The employer files Form I-140 with USCIS. A certified labor certification is valid for 180 days (20 CFR 656.30). USCIS took a median of 3.9 months on I-140s in April to June 2026, or 15 business days with premium processing for most categories.

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