Checking whether your PERM application has been approved comes down to one tool: the Department of Labor’s FLAG Case Status Search at flag.dol.gov/case-status-search. If your case shows “PERM Certified,” the labor certification is approved and valid for 180 days, the window your employer has to file an I-140 with USCIS.
Most foreign workers learn the answer secondhand because the DOL’s pending-status portal is restricted to the petitioning employer or an authorized attorney. The good news is that once a case is decided, that record becomes part of the DOL’s quarterly disclosures and shows up on free public trackers within weeks.
This guide walks through every reliable way to check your PERM status in 2026, from the official FLAG portal to public datasets and third-party trackers. It also explains what each status code actually means, current processing time benchmarks, and what to do if the case is sitting well past the posted timelines.
The PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) labor certification is the first hurdle in the EB-2 and EB-3 employment-based green card path. Without an approved PERM, the I-140 immigrant petition cannot be filed. That is why the moment of certification matters so much: it unlocks the next 180 days of priority-date-securing work.
Current processing reality: standard PERM cases without an audit average 462 to 478 days (roughly 9 to 15 months), and audited cases routinely run 12 to 18 months or longer. The DOL’s Analyst Review queue posted a 472-day average for August 2025 filings, so checking status weekly during the first year usually returns the same “In Process” message.
Use the steps below in order. Step 1 confirms you have the right identifiers, step 2 runs the official check, step 3 decodes the result, and the later steps cover trackers, escalation, and what to do once the case finally clears.
Locate Your PERM Case Number
Every PERM case is identified by a number that begins with the letter G followed by digits (for example, G-100-23210-123456). The DOL assigns this number when the ETA Form 9089 is accepted into the system, and it is the only identifier the FLAG case status tool will accept.
Ask your employer’s HR or immigration team for this number. If your attorney filed the case, they will have it in the case-acceptance email from the DOL. Without it, you cannot run a status check yourself, even on the public side of FLAG.
- PERM case number beginning with “G”
- Date the ETA Form 9089 was filed
- Petitioning employer’s legal name (used by alphabetical-order trackers)
- Whether the case has received an audit notice
- Prevailing wage determination (PWD) case number, if needed for context
If your employer is reluctant to share the G-number, request it in writing for your personal records. Workers have a legitimate interest in tracking the case that secures their priority date, even though the petition itself belongs to the employer.
Run the Official FLAG Case Status Search
The FLAG (Foreign Labor Application Gateway) system is the DOL’s authoritative source for PERM status. The public Case Status Search returns a status string for any case the DOL has decided, while pending cases require a logged-in employer or attorney account at the legacy plc.doleta.gov portal.
Open the FLAG Case Status Search, enter the G-number exactly as issued, and submit. Decided cases return “Certified,” “Denied,” “Withdrawn,” or “Certified Expired” within seconds. If nothing returns, the case is still in process and only the employer or attorney can see the queue position.
Foreign workers cannot register for an employer account in FLAG. Attempts to do so create compliance issues for the employer and will not produce a status result. Always route pending-case questions through your employer or their attorney.
Interpret the Status Code You See
FLAG returns short status strings, and each one has a precise legal meaning. Reading them correctly is the difference between scheduling an I-140 filing and discovering that your certification has already lapsed.
“PERM Certified” means the labor certification is approved. The clock starts immediately: the employer has 180 calendar days to file an I-140 immigrant petition before the certification expires. “PERM Certified Expired” means the 180 days passed without an I-140 filing, and the entire PERM process must restart from scratch (new prevailing wage determination, new recruitment, new ETA-9089).
| Status | What It Means | What to Do Next |
|---|---|---|
| In Process | Filed and queued; not yet decided | Check DOL processing-times page; wait |
| Analyst Review | Assigned to an officer for adjudication | Decision usually within weeks of this stage |
| Audit | Additional documentation requested | Employer/attorney must respond within 30 days |
| PERM Certified | Approved; valid 180 days | File I-140 with USCIS within 180 days |
| Certified Expired | Approved but I-140 was not filed in time | Restart the PERM process from PWD |
| Denied | Rejected; reasons stated in determination | Refile or appeal within 30 days to BALCA |
| Withdrawn | Employer pulled the application | Confirm reason with employer/counsel |
The 180-day post-certification clock is calendar days, not business days, and it cannot be extended. A delayed I-140 filing forfeits the PERM and any priority date attached to it. See the I-140 Approval Checklist for what should be ready the moment certification posts.
Cross-Check Against DOL Posted Processing Times
The DOL publishes a monthly processing-times table at flag.dol.gov/processingtimes showing which filing month the OFLC is currently adjudicating at each review stage. If your PERM was filed in a month the DOL has not yet reached, no decision is possible regardless of how long the case has been on file.
The current Analyst Review queue is working through August 2025 filings at an average of 472 days. Audit Review and Reconsideration queues run longer. Compare your filing month to the queue and you will know roughly when a decision becomes likely.
| Standard PERM (no audit) | 9 to 15 months |
| Average days end-to-end | 462 to 478 days |
| Analyst Review average (Aug 2025 filings) | 472 days |
| PERM with audit | 12 to 18+ months |
| Audit issuance window after filing | Within 6 months |
| Validity of certified PERM | 180 days |
If your filing month is past the posted queue and you still see “In Process,” that is a normal but uncomfortable gap, often called the “post-queue lull.” Many cases sit in administrative limbo for several weeks between when the queue catches up and when an analyst actually picks them up.
The DOL adjudicates each filing month roughly alphabetically by petitioning employer name. Workers at companies whose names start late in the alphabet often see decisions a few weeks after coworkers at A or B companies filed in the same month.
Use Public Disclosure Data and Third-Party Trackers
The DOL releases a quarterly disclosure file containing every decided PERM case, including approvals, denials, employer name, job title, wage offered, and decision date. Several free trackers ingest these files and let you search by employer or filing date.
H1BGrader indexes these disclosures and is widely used to confirm certification once the next quarterly file drops. permupdate.com uses crowdsourced submissions to estimate where individual cases sit relative to the alphabetical queue. Neither replaces the FLAG result, but both fill the visibility gap when you cannot log into the employer account.
For broader context on how the audit pipeline affects timelines, see our guide to the DOL’s PERM audit process, which walks through what triggers an audit and how to respond.
Escalate If the Case Is Past Posted Times
The DOL’s stated rule: contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk only if the case is more than three months past the posted processing time for its current stage. Premature inquiries clog the queue and rarely speed things up.
Inquiries should come from the employer or attorney of record, not the worker. Include the G-number, filing date, current stage, and the specific posted processing time being exceeded. For broader employer-level questions, the National Processing Center handles direct calls.
Use only for cases more than 3 months past posted processing times
If escalation does not resolve a stuck case, the next steps are typically a congressional inquiry through the worker’s U.S. representative or, in extreme cases, a writ of mandamus filed in federal district court. Both should be discussed with the employer’s immigration counsel before pursuing. For cases that come back denied rather than delayed, see PERM Application Denied: Next Steps and Options.
Once “PERM Certified” appears, the I-140 must be filed within 180 calendar days. Employers occasionally lose track of this clock during organizational changes, and a lapsed certification cannot be revived; the entire PERM must be refiled, including a fresh prevailing wage determination and recruitment.
FLAG only tracks the DOL labor certification. The I-140 immigrant petition lives at USCIS and must be checked separately at egov.uscis.gov using the USCIS receipt number. Workers sometimes assume a “Certified” PERM means the green card process is complete; it is only step one of three.
“Certified Expired” sounds like an approval but is functionally a dead case. The certification was issued and then lapsed because no I-140 was filed in time. Treat this status the same as a denial for planning purposes: the priority date is lost and the entire PERM cycle must restart.
Inquiries before the case is three months past posted processing times are routinely closed without action. Track the DOL processing-times page each month and only escalate when the gap is genuine. Premature emails delay legitimate inquiries from cases that are truly stuck.
H1BGrader and permupdate.com pull from quarterly disclosures or crowdsourced data, both of which lag the official record. A FLAG search remains the only authoritative confirmation, and the I-140 cannot be filed on the basis of a tracker entry alone.
What to Do Once the Status Says “PERM Certified”
The certification is a green light, not a finish line. Within hours, the employer should confirm receipt of the determination letter, calendar the 180-day expiration date, and trigger I-140 preparation. Premium processing is available for the I-140 (currently $2,965) and shrinks USCIS adjudication to 15 business days, which can be valuable when the priority date situation is fluid.
Workers should request a copy of the certified ETA-9089 for their personal records. This document, alongside the I-140 receipt notice that follows, is what proves the priority date that can later be ported under AC21 if you change employers. For a fuller checklist of what should happen in the days right after certification, including portability planning and document retention, the I-140 Approval Checklist covers the post-certification workflow in detail.
Finally, if your case has been delayed by audits, RFEs, or administrative processing along the way, our guide on navigating PERM delays covers escalation paths and what employers can do to avoid the most common time sinks during the labor certification stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can my employer check the PERM application status online?
Employers or attorneys log in to the DOL FLAG system at https://flag.dol.gov or https://www.plc.doleta.gov and use the case number starting with ‘G’ to view pending statuses. Use the Case Status Search tool at https://flag.dol.gov/case-status-search for quick checks.
Can I as the applicant see my pending PERM status online?
No. Applicants cannot directly access pending PERM statuses online; only employers or attorneys can via FLAG at https://www.plc.doleta.gov. Applicants can view public approved case data through DOL quarterly disclosures or third-party trackers.
What does a ‘PERM Certified’ status mean and how long is it valid?
‘PERM Certified’ means the DOL approved the labor certification. The certification remains valid for 180 days (six months) for filing an I-140 petition. If not used within 180 days it will show as ‘PERM Certified Expired.’
If my PERM shows ‘PERM Certified Expired,’ what does that imply for filing an I-140?
‘PERM Certified Expired’ indicates the employer did not file the I-140 within the 180-day validity, so the certification cannot support an I-140 unless DOL or USCIS accepts a new filing. Your options depend on your case facts and employer willingness.
What are current PERM processing time ranges and where can I find month-specific times?
Typical processing averages 9 to 15 months without audit and 12 to 18 months or more with audits. DOL publishes current adjudication months in FLAG; for example, Analyst Review was 472 days for August 2025 cases and overall processing ranged 462-478 days in 2025.
When should my employer contact the DOL if a case is delayed beyond normal posted times?
If the case is more than three months past the posted processing times, employers should contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk at [email protected]. Employers can also call the National Processing Center at (404) 893-0101 for employer inquiries.
Do audits affect when I can expect a PERM decision and when are audits typically issued?
Yes. Audits extend processing; audited cases commonly take 12 to 18 months or more. DOL typically issues audits within six months of filing, so expect longer timelines if you receive an audit notice.
Are there third-party tools to track PERM timelines and how reliable are they?
Yes. Sites like permupdate.com and H1BGrader track and predict timelines by case number or submission date using public disclosures and employer-name alphabetization. They rely on public DOL data and estimations, so results are predictive and vary by case.
