PERM Processing Times Update: Analyst Review Advances Two Months to September 2025

Key Takeaways

• As of August 7, 2026, DOL Analyst Review is processing PERM applications filed in September 2025 — a two-month advance from July 2025 last month.
• Audit Review is currently processing PERM applications filed in December 2025.
• PERM applications are reviewed in filing order, so these dates show where the queue currently stands — no action is needed while you wait.
• PERM approval is only the first major EB-3 stage: after the I-140 petition, applicants still wait for their priority date to become current in the Visa Bulletin before the final green card step.

The U.S. Department of Labor has published updated PERM processing times, and this month's numbers bring genuinely encouraging news for anyone with a pending labor certification.

As of August 7, 2026, the DOL's FLAG processing times page shows that Analyst Review is now working on PERM applications filed in September 2025. Last month, the queue stood at July 2025 — so the analyst review queue moved forward two months in a single month.

What the new numbers show

• Analyst Review: September 2025 (up from July 2025 last month — a two-month advance)
• Audit Review: December 2025

Analyst Review is the standard track that most PERM applications go through: a DOL analyst reviews the application and the employer's recruitment to confirm everything meets the program requirements. Audit Review applies to the smaller share of cases the DOL selects for a closer look, which is why that queue sits at a different date.

What this means if your PERM is pending

These dates tell you which filing month the DOL is currently reviewing, so they're the best available yardstick for where your case sits in line. If your PERM application was filed in or before September 2025 and it's in the standard analyst review track, it is now within the window the DOL is actively working through.

If your application was filed more recently, the queue simply hasn't reached your filing month yet. That's normal — PERM applications are processed in the order they were received, and no action is needed from you or your employer while you wait.

Why the two-month advance matters

Processing queues don't always move at a steady pace. Some months the dates barely budge; other months, like this one, they jump forward. A two-month advance in a single month means the DOL worked through applications faster than the calendar moved — real progress for everyone in line behind that date.

As always, a single month's movement doesn't tell us how fast the queue will move next month. We track these updates every month and share them so you always know where things stand.

PERM approval is one step — the Visa Bulletin still sets the timeline

For EB-3 applicants, it's important to keep this update in perspective. PERM labor certification is the first major government stage of the EB-3 process, and faster PERM processing is a genuine win. But it is only one step.

After the PERM is certified, the employer files the I-140 immigrant petition with USCIS. And even after the I-140 is approved, applicants must wait for their priority date — the date the PERM application was filed — to become current under the monthly Visa Bulletin before they can complete the final green card stage, whether through consular processing abroad or adjustment of status in the U.S.

In other words: a faster PERM queue gets you to the waiting line sooner, but the Visa Bulletin determines when the final stage can begin. Both timelines matter, and they move independently of each other.

What you should do

If you're an Immilink client, there's nothing you need to do — we monitor DOL processing times and the Visa Bulletin every month, and we'll reach out if anything about this update affects your case specifically.

If you're considering starting an EB-3 case, this update is a helpful data point: the PERM queue is moving, and every case starts accruing its place in line — and its priority date — from the day the PERM application is filed.