PERM is the first step in most employer-sponsored green card processes — here is what to expect at every stage.
PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) is the labor certification process that most employer-sponsored green cards require. It is the mandatory first step for EB-2 and EB-3 green cards unless you qualify for a National Interest Waiver. The PERM process proves to the Department of Labor that no qualified U.S. worker is available for the position, clearing the way for your employer to file an immigrant petition on your behalf.
PERM is a labor market test administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Your employer must demonstrate through a structured recruitment process that they could not find a qualified, willing, and available U.S. worker for the position at the prevailing wage. PERM is required for most EB-2 and EB-3 green card petitions, but is not required for EB-1, EB-2 NIW, or EB-4/EB-5 categories.
The complete PERM process typically takes 12 to 18 months from start to certification:
Professional positions (EB-2 and most EB-3) require extensive recruitment. Mandatory steps include a 30-day job order with the State Workforce Agency, two Sunday newspaper advertisements, and three additional recruitment steps chosen from a list that includes job fairs, campus placement, employer website postings, professional organization postings, and employee referral programs. All recruitment must be conducted at the prevailing wage or higher.
The DOL randomly audits approximately 25-30% of PERM applications. An audit requires the employer to submit the complete recruitment file, including copies of all advertisements, resumes received, and documented reasons for rejecting U.S. applicants. Audits add 6 to 12 months to the process. Supervised recruitment — where DOL directs the employer to conduct additional recruitment — can add even more time.
Once PERM is certified, the employer has 180 days to file Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition) with USCIS. The I-140 filing establishes your priority date, which determines your place in the green card queue. After I-140 approval, you wait for your priority date to become current before filing Form I-485 (adjustment of status) or going through consular processing to obtain your green card.
The most common issues with PERM include job requirement inflation (listing requirements that exceed what is actually needed), tailoring the position to match only the foreign worker's qualifications, and failure to properly document recruitment efforts. If any qualified U.S. worker applies and is rejected without a lawful, job-related reason, the PERM will be denied. Employers must work closely with immigration counsel to avoid these pitfalls.
Search thousands of verified H-1B sponsors by company, industry, and location.
Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →The complete PERM process typically takes 12 to 18 months from start to certification. This includes 2 to 6 months for prevailing wage determination, 2 to 3 months for recruitment, a 30-day cooling-off period, and 6 to 12 months for DOL processing. If audited, add another 6 to 12 months. The overall green card process (PERM + I-140 + I-485) can take 2 to 5+ years depending on your country of birth.
Changing jobs generally means starting the PERM process over with your new employer. The PERM is filed by a specific employer for a specific position. If you leave that employer before I-140 approval, the PERM is typically abandoned. After I-140 approval and 180 days pending on I-485, you gain job portability under AC21 and can change to a similar position without restarting the process.
If PERM is denied, the employer can request a review by the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) within 30 days. Alternatively, the employer can refile a new PERM application from scratch, which means repeating the entire recruitment process. Common denial reasons include inadequate recruitment documentation, job requirement issues, and the employer's failure to demonstrate that no qualified U.S. worker was available.
By law, the employer must bear all costs of the PERM labor certification process, including attorney fees related to PERM filing, recruitment advertising costs, and prevailing wage expenses. The employee cannot pay for or reimburse any PERM-related costs. However, the employee may pay for their own I-140 and I-485 filing fees and associated attorney costs in later stages of the green card process.