PERM Analyst Review: What It Means and Typical Timeframes

The U.S. Department of Labor quietly crossed a new threshold on September 1, 2025, as it reported that PERM Analyst Review processing now averages 472 calendar days, or about 15 months and 17 days. What was once a routine stage of the employment-based green card process has become a long wait for thousands of workers and employers.

The update, posted through the Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), shows that officers are currently working on PERM applications filed in June 2024. For foreign workers whose careers and immigration status depend on these decisions, the new figures confirm what many had already felt from experience: the Analyst Review stage has become a major bottleneck in the permanent labor certification system.

What PERM Analyst Review is and why it matters

PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) is the first step many skilled workers must clear before their employer can file an immigrant petition. In the PERM Analyst Review stage, an OFLC analyst studies the employer’s case file to decide whether the job was truly offered to U.S. workers first, and whether no able, willing, available, and qualified U.S. worker was found.

Until that analyst signs off, the foreign worker cannot move forward with the employment-based green card process.

• Analysts examine employer compliance with program rules.
• The focus is on employer recruitment steps, the prevailing wage determination, and the job requirements as tested in the U.S. labor market.
• The central legal test: were there qualified U.S. workers ready and available when the job was advertised?

If the OFLC believes recruitment did not meet rules, or the job requirements are too restrictive, the case can be denied even after more than a year in the queue.

Current processing picture and causes of delay

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the national average of 472 days hides a wide range of experiences.

• Some straightforward cases move faster than the average.
• Other cases can sit far longer than 472 days.
• Key factors affecting timing:
  • Case complexity
  • Total filing volume
  • Federal funding and staffing for the OFLC

When workloads spike or resources lag, the Analyst Review queue grows, leaving families planning long-term futures in the United States 🇺🇸 waiting.

Audits: frequency, triggers, and consequences

The Department of Labor data show that about 25% of PERM cases are audited in a typical fiscal year.

• Audits may be:
  • Random, to test general compliance
  • Triggered by features in the filing (unusual job requirements, special recruiting steps, or prior employer issues)

When an audit notice arrives, the employer normally has 30 days to respond with detailed evidence.

Typical audit response materials include:

• Full copies of print ads
• Screenshots of online postings
• Internal recruitment records
• Resumes received from U.S. workers
• Explanations for why U.S. applicants were rejected

After the employer submits the response, the case returns to the Analyst Review queue. That re-review often adds an extra 3 to 6 months to the overall processing time. For workers already waiting more than a year, an audit can push approval timelines well into the future.

OFLC’s stated purpose and real-world impact

OFLC officials emphasize these reviews are meant to protect U.S. workers—ensuring companies sponsor foreign workers only when no qualified U.S. worker is available.

• Analysts verify that:
  • The offered wage meets or exceeds the government’s prevailing wage data
  • Recruitment was conducted in good faith

But in practice, long Analyst Review timelines mean:

• Hiring plans and promotions can be delayed for more than a year
• Personal decisions—housing, schooling, travel—may be put on hold
• Employers may need to revise legal strategies for visa timing and extensions

How employers and applicants track progress

Employers and attorneys now monitor the official processing time page closely: official processing time page. The site lists which month and year of PERM filings are under Analyst Review, helping to estimate how close a specific priority date is to decision.

Steps applicants and employers typically take:

1. Check the employer’s PERM submission date (priority date).
2. Compare it to the month currently shown on the government site.
3. If OFLC is still working on cases filed months before your priority date, expect a continued wait.

Practical adjustments and legal advice

The slowdowns have ripple effects across the employment-based immigration system.

• Many temporary-visa holders (e.g., H‑1B) time extensions and travel around expected PERM approvals.
• When Analyst Review extends toward 1.5 years, legal strategies must change.
  • Some employers file PERM earlier to build a cushion.
  • Others worry that job needs may shift by the time PERM is approved, creating later-stage issues.

Immigration lawyers urge that clean, well-documented filings are more important than ever:

• Keep complete records of all ads, resumes, and interview notes from the start.
• Avoid scrambling to recreate documentation if an audit arrives a year after recruitment.

For official PERM guidance, the Department of Labor’s main PERM page is: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/programs/permanent.

Outlook and implications

As of September 1, 2025, there is no public-data sign that the OFLC will catch up quickly. With June 2024 filings still in Analyst Review, those who filed later in 2024 or early 2025 should brace for similar waits.

Advocates for employment-based immigrants argue that without more staff or process reforms, the Analyst Review queue will remain long, even if filing volumes change.

That said, the system offers one measure of predictability: the Department of Labor posts its processing month, so employers can roughly gauge whether progress is being made.

• By checking flag.dol.gov, users can see if the government is advancing a week, a month, or barely at all.
• For many applicants, even a small jump in the posted month feels like a step closer to stability.

The reality now: a single stage at the Department of Labor often controls more than fifteen months of waiting in the long road toward permanent residence in the United States 🇺🇸.

Key figures at a glance

If you rely on PERM timing for immigration planning, monitor the OFLC processing page and keep thorough recruitment documentation from day one.