Updated
Every case status, explained
What each status DOL shows on a PERM, wage request, LCA, H-2A or H-2B case means, the rule behind it, and how many cases carry it today.
PERM (ETA-9089)
Counts are cases in that status across every filing month, as DOL showed them on November 9, 2026. A count says how common the state is and nothing about how long any one case stays in it.
Waiting in line
Nothing has been asked of anyone. The case is in DOL's ordinary queue, worked in filing order.
Analyst Review ANALYST REVIEW The ordinary queue. 78,565 cases
An analyst will work through it in filing order, and until they reach it nothing about the case changes. This is where the overwhelming majority of pending cases sit, and waiting is the whole of it.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
In Process IN PROCESS A pending state that sits alongside analyst review. 0 cases
DOL publishes no definition separating the two, and there are few enough cases in it that no pattern can be read off the data either.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Application On Hold APPLICATION ON HOLD The case is pending and has been set aside from the ordinary queue. 2,880 cases
DOL publishes no definition for this state, so this page can't tell you what put a particular case into it.
Who acts: The employer's attorney can ask DOL directly. Nothing on a public page will answer it.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Determination Issued DETERMINATION ISSUED A decision has been issued on the case, and the live status hasn't settled to the outcome yet. 0 cases
DOL publishes no definition for this intermediate state.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Something is due
DOL has asked the employer for something and a clock is running. These are the statuses with a deadline in the regulation.
RFI Issued RFI ISSUED DOL has asked the employer for more information before it decides. 635 cases
The regulation lets the Certifying Officer request supplemental information or documentation at any point before a final determination. An RFI isn't an audit. An audit is a formal instrument under a different subsection with a fixed 30-day clock, and DOL runs the two as separate statuses in separate queues.
The clock: Whatever the letter says. The regulation sets no fixed window for this one, unlike an audit.
Who acts: The employer has to answer by the deadline the letter itself sets. A missed deadline is how a case that was going to be certified gets denied instead.
Source: 20 CFR 656.20(d)(1)
Pending Audit Response PENDING AUDIT RESPONSE The case was selected for audit, either because the review raised something or at random for quality control, and DOL is waiting on the documents. 1 case
The clock: 30 days from the date of the audit letter. The Certifying Officer may grant one extension of up to 30 more days, at their discretion.
Who acts: The employer has to send the documentation the audit letter lists. Missing the date risks a denial. It also counts as a refusal to exhaust administrative remedies, which closes the door on a BALCA appeal.
Source: 20 CFR 656.20(a)(2)
Supervised Recruitment SUPERVISED RECRUITMENT DOL has taken over the recruitment. 4 cases
The employer has to advertise again where DOL tells it to, with wording DOL approves first. Applications go to the Certifying Officer instead of the employer.
The clock: 30 days from being notified that supervised recruitment is required.
Who acts: The employer has to supply a draft advertisement to the Certifying Officer for approval.
Source: 20 CFR 656.21(b)(1)
NORD Issued NORD ISSUED DOL publishes no expansion of this acronym and no definition of the state, so this page won't put one on it. 166 cases
The data shows only that it's a pending state, and that it holds very few cases.
Who acts: The notice itself says what DOL wants and by when. The employer's attorney has it.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Under appeal
A denial is being contested. Each step has its own window and its own decision-maker.
Reconsideration Appeals RECONSIDERATION APPEALS The case was denied and the employer asked the Certifying Officer to look again. 2,559 cases
Reconsideration is narrow on purpose: it can only rely on documents DOL already received, or documents that existed when the application was filed and were kept to support it.
The clock: The request had to be sent within 30 days of the denial being issued.
Who acts: The Certifying Officer decides whether to reconsider, and may instead treat the request as an appeal to BALCA.
Source: 20 CFR 656.24(g)
Request For Review REQUEST FOR REVIEW The employer has asked the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals to review a denial. 12 cases
BALCA reviews on the record: the evidence is what was already in front of the Certifying Officer, and the submissions are legal argument.
The clock: The request had to be sent within 30 days of the determination.
Who acts: BALCA decides. Nothing further is required from the employer.
Source: 20 CFR 656.26(a)
BALCA Appeals BALCA APPEALS The case is with the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals. 911 cases
BALCA can affirm the denial, direct the Certifying Officer to grant the certification, or order a hearing.
Who acts: BALCA decides. All parties get 30 days to file a brief or decline to.
Source: 20 CFR 656.27
Denied - BALCA Dismissed DENIED - BALCA DISMISSED A denied case whose appeal to BALCA ended without the Board ruling on its merits. 112 cases
DOL publishes no definition of this status. The words dismiss and dismissal don't appear anywhere in the section governing BALCA decisions. That section lists only three outcomes: affirming the denial, directing the officer to grant, or ordering a hearing. One case in the whole snapshot carries it.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Decided
DOL is finished with the application. What happens next, if anything, happens at USCIS.
Denied - BALCA Affirmed DENIED - BALCA AFFIRMED The employer appealed the denial to the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals, and the Board affirmed it. 23 cases
The Board reviews the record the decision was made on and must affirm the denial, direct the Certifying Officer to grant the certification, or order a hearing. Here it took the first of the three. The regulation names no further step inside DOL.
Source: 20 CFR 656.27(c)
Certified CERTIFIED DOL granted the labor certification. 101,541 cases
That ends the PERM stage, and the certification is the document an employer files an I-140 with. It isn't a green card or a petition.
The clock: 180 calendar days from the date DOL granted it, to file in support of a Form I-140.
Who acts: The employer has to file the I-140 while the certification is still valid. A certification that isn't filed in time expires, and the whole PERM stage has to be done again.
Source: 20 CFR 656.30(b)(1)
Certified - Expired CERTIFIED - EXPIRED DOL granted the certification and the 180-day window to file an I-140 with it has passed. 229,536 cases
The regulation is explicit: a certification expires if it isn't filed in support of an I-140 petition within 180 calendar days of the date DOL granted it.
Who acts: This is our reading rather than DOL's, because DOL publishes no note on it. Expiry is a calendar event. It doesn't mean nothing was filed. DOL grants the certification and USCIS receives the I-140. Nothing suggests DOL is told when one arrives. So a case where the employer filed on day 30 and a case where nobody ever filed both end up here. If an I-140 went in inside the window, it's unaffected. The employer's attorney knows which of the two happened, and this page can't.
Source: 20 CFR 656.30(b)(1)
Denied DENIED The Certifying Officer refused the application. 8,680 cases
The denial letter states the grounds, and there are two routes on from it: reconsideration by the same officer, or review by BALCA.
The clock: 30 days from the date the denial was issued, for either route.
Who acts: The employer can request reconsideration or ask BALCA to review. Missing both windows counts as a failure to exhaust administrative remedies and the denial becomes final. A fresh application is also an option and is often the faster one.
Source: 20 CFR 656.24(g), 656.26(a)
Withdrawn WITHDRAWN The employer withdrew the application. 22,177 cases
DOL records no reason, so nothing here can say why. A withdrawal isn't a denial, and it doesn't count against anybody.
No published definition. DOL's FLAG workflow uses the word and no section of 20 CFR 656 defines it.
Prevailing wage requests (ETA-9141)
The wage request comes before the PERM and has its own review chain under 20 CFR 656.41. Counts are from DOL's live index as of null.
In process IN PROCESS
The request has been received and no determination has been issued. 45,283 cases
IN PROCESSThis is the ordinary wage queue, worked in filing order.
No published definition. A workflow word with no regulatory definition. DOL publishes which filing month the center is working, and that's the only official measure of the wait.
RFI issued RFI ISSUED
The center has asked the employer for information before it issues a determination, usually about the job's duties, requirements or worksite. 594 cases
RFI ISSUEDNo published definition. DOL publishes no definition and no response period for a wage-request RFI. The letter states its own. A request the employer never answers is returned unprocessed.
Determination issued DETERMINATION ISSUED
The center issued the prevailing wage. 488,885 cases
DETERMINATION ISSUEDIt's valid for 90 days or until the next June 30, whichever the rule gives. Recruitment or the ETA-9089 has to start inside that window.
Source: 20 CFR 656.40(c)
Pending redetermination PENDING REDETERMINATION
The employer asked the center to look at its own determination again. 186 cases
PENDING REDETERMINATIONThe request has to be made within 30 days of the determination date.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41
Redetermination affirmed REDETERMINATION AFFIRMED
The center looked again and kept its wage. 516 cases
REDETERMINATION AFFIRMEDThe employer's next step, if any, is a request for Center Director review.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41
Redetermination modified REDETERMINATION MODIFIED
The center looked again and changed the wage. 874 cases
REDETERMINATION MODIFIEDThe modified determination is the one that now governs the case.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41
Pending Center Director review PENDING CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW
The employer took a redetermination it still disputes up to the Center Director, the step above the analyst and below BALCA. 1 case
PENDING CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEWSource: 20 CFR 656.41
Center Director review affirmed CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW AFFIRMED DETERMINATION
The Center Director upheld the wage. 14 cases
CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW AFFIRMED DETERMINATIONThe remaining route is review by BALCA.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41
Center Director review modified CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW MODIFIED DETERMINATION
The Center Director changed the wage. 11 cases
CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW MODIFIED DETERMINATIONThe modified determination governs.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41
Pending BALCA PENDING BALCA
The employer asked the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals to review the Center Director's decision. 1 case
PENDING BALCAThe board reads the record already made, and nothing new goes in.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41(d)
BALCA affirmed BALCA AFFIRMED
The board upheld the wage. 0 cases
BALCA AFFIRMEDThat's the last step inside DOL.
Source: 20 CFR 656.41(d), 656.27
BALCA overturned BALCA OVERTURNED
The board reversed the Center Director's decision on the wage. 2 cases
BALCA OVERTURNEDSource: 20 CFR 656.41(d), 656.27
BALCA dismissed BALCA DISMISSED
The board closed the appeal without changing the wage. 1 case
BALCA DISMISSEDNo published definition. DOL's record doesn't say why. A late request, a withdrawn appeal or one outside what the board can review would each end this way.
Returned unprocessed RETURNED UNPROCESSED
The center sent the request back without deciding it. 6,147 cases
RETURNED UNPROCESSEDDOL neither granted nor denied a wage, and the employer didn't withdraw, so this is none of those three.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition. The commonest reading is an unanswered RFI or a request that couldn't be processed as filed. The record doesn't say which.
Withdrawn WITHDRAWN
The employer withdrew the request before a determination. 22,463 cases
WITHDRAWNDOL records no reason.
No published definition. A workflow word. The regulation describes withdrawal of a PERM application. It says nothing about withdrawing a wage request.
H-1B labor condition applications (ETA-9035)
An LCA is certified or returned within seven working days, so the live index holds almost nothing pending. Counts are from DOL's live index as of null.
In process IN PROCESS
Filed and not yet certified. 6,388 cases
IN PROCESSThe regulation gives DOL seven working days to certify or return an LCA, so this status rarely lasts a week.
Source: 20 CFR 655.740(a)
Certified CERTIFIED
DOL certified the application. 467,370 cases
CERTIFIEDCertification checks only for completeness and obvious inaccuracy, so it doesn't review the wage or the job. The certification rests on the employer's attestations.
Source: 20 CFR 655.740
Certified, then withdrawn CERTIFIED - WITHDRAWN
The employer withdrew an LCA after DOL certified it. 0 cases
CERTIFIED - WITHDRAWNObligations that attached while it was in force, including the wage, survive for the period it was used.
Source: 20 CFR 655.750(b)
Withdrawn WITHDRAWN
The employer withdrew the application before certification. 19,175 cases
WITHDRAWNSource: 20 CFR 655.750(b)
Denied DENIED
DOL didn't certify the application. 2,720 cases
DENIEDOn an LCA that almost always means an incomplete or obviously inaccurate form, which the employer can correct and refile.
Source: 20 CFR 655.740(a)
H-2A and H-2B (ETA-9142A, ETA-9142B and their wage requests)
Temporary farm and non-farm work, under 20 CFR part 655. Each entry says which of the three forms it appears on. Counts are from DOL's live index as of null.
Available for 9142A linking AVAILABLE FOR 9142A LINKING
The job order is in and waiting to be attached to the H-2A application (Form ETA-9142A) the employer files for the same work. 27 cases
AVAILABLE FOR 9142A LINKINGThe job order comes first, 60 to 75 days before the first date of need. On: H-2A job orders.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of this status. This reading comes from its name and from 20 CFR 655.121, which has the job order filed before the application.
Approved APPROVED
The job order was approved and placed in clearance, so the state workforce agency starts recruiting U.S. 2,018 cases
APPROVEDworkers. It's the job order's own decision. The H-2A application filed with it (an H-300- number) is decided separately. On: H-2A job orders.
Source: 20 CFR 655.121(e), (f)
Archived ARCHIVED
DOL closed the job order. 725 cases
ARCHIVEDEvery archived job order on record was filed between 2022 and 2024, and each one whose work period we know had already ended. On: H-2A job orders.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of an archived job order. Nothing moves out of it: none of the 725 changed while this site watched.
In process IN PROCESS
Filed and not yet acted on. 9,310 cases
IN PROCESSOn an application DOL accepts it or sends a notice of deficiency within 7 days of receipt: calendar days for H-2A, business days for H-2B. On: Every form.
Source: 20 CFR 655.33, 655.143
Notice of deficiency issued NOD ISSUED
DOL found the application or job order incomplete or wrong and said what to fix. 121 cases
NOD ISSUEDThe employer has 5 business days (H-2A) or 10 (H-2B) to send a modified application or ask a judge to review the notice. Otherwise it's denied. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.31, 655.141
Accepted, pending recruitment ACCEPTED - PENDING RECRUITMENT
DOL issued a notice of acceptance. 471 cases
ACCEPTED - PENDING RECRUITMENTThe job order goes out to state workforce agencies and the employer recruits U.S. workers before DOL decides. An H-2A decision is due no later than 30 days before the first date of need. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.33, 655.143
NOR issued NOR ISSUED
DOL rejected the application. 1,419 cases
NOR ISSUEDIts published files record every NOR case they hold as rejected. On: H-2B and CW-1 applications.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of NOR and its rules don't use the abbreviation. Of the NOR cases filed October 2024 to May 2026, DOL's H-2B and CW-1 disclosure files hold 547, and all 547 read "Determination issued: rejected" (checked October 7, 2026). The letter itself says why.
NRM issued NRM ISSUED
A notice DOL sent on an H-2A application that's still open. 0 cases
NRM ISSUEDOn: H-2A applications.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of NRM and the H-2A rules don't use the abbreviation. The letter itself says what it asks for and by when.
RFI issued RFI ISSUED
The wage center asked the employer for information before it sets the wage. 140 cases
RFI ISSUEDOn: H-2B wage requests.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition and no response period for a wage-request RFI. The letter states its own.
Pending appeal PENDING APPEAL
The employer asked an administrative law judge to review a notice of deficiency or a denial. 16 cases
PENDING APPEALOn H-2A the employer can ask for an expedited review or a new hearing. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.61, 655.171
Pending Center Director review PENDING CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW
The employer disputes the wage and asked the National Prevailing Wage Center's director to review it. 123 cases
PENDING CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEWThe request has to be made within 7 business days of the determination. On: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.13(a)
Post-certification request pending Post-Cert Request Pending
DOL already certified the application and the employer has asked for something after it. 2 cases
Post-Cert Request PendingDOL writes this one in mixed case. On: H-2B applications.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition, and the record doesn't say what was asked for.
Full certification FULL CERTIFICATION
DOL certified the application for every worker and the whole period requested. 92,868 cases
FULL CERTIFICATIONThe employer files the certified application with its petition to USCIS. For H-2A, DOL sends it to USCIS directly. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.52, 655.162
Partial certification PARTIAL CERTIFICATION
DOL certified fewer workers, a shorter period, or both. 1,919 cases
PARTIAL CERTIFICATIONFor H-2B the number drops by one for each qualified U.S. worker who's available and wasn't rejected for a lawful reason. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.54
Full certification, expired FULL CERTIFICATION - EXPIRED
A certification DOL now shows as expired. 89,228 cases
FULL CERTIFICATION - EXPIREDOn: H-2A applications.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of the expired label on a temporary certification.
Partial certification, expired PARTIAL CERTIFICATION - EXPIRED
A partial certification DOL now shows as expired. 252 cases
PARTIAL CERTIFICATION - EXPIREDOn: H-2A applications.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition of the expired label on a temporary certification.
Full certification, withdrawn FULL CERTIFICATION - WITHDRAWN
The employer withdrew the application after DOL certified it. 4 cases
FULL CERTIFICATION - WITHDRAWNIt stays bound by the job order's terms for every worker it recruited under it. On: H-2A applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.172
Full certification, revoked FULL CERTIFICATION - REVOKED
DOL took back a certification it had granted. 1 case
FULL CERTIFICATION - REVOKEDIt can do that for fraud or misrepresentation in the application, or for a substantial violation of the certification's terms. Refusing to cooperate with a DOL investigation, or ignoring a sanction, can also lead to it. On: H-2A applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.181
Determination issued DETERMINATION ISSUED
The wage center set the prevailing wage. 101,977 cases
DETERMINATION ISSUEDThe H-2B job has to be advertised and paid at least that, or any higher minimum wage that applies. On: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.10
Center Director review affirmed CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW AFFIRMED DETERMINATION
The center's director kept the wage. 213 cases
CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW AFFIRMED DETERMINATIONThe employer can ask BALCA to review it within 10 business days. On: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.13
Center Director review modified CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW MODIFIED DETERMINATION
The center's director changed the wage. 192 cases
CENTER DIRECTOR REVIEW MODIFIED DETERMINATIONThe modified determination is the one that governs. On: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.13
BALCA overturned BALCA OVERTURNED
The employer took the director's decision to the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals, and the board reversed it. 8 cases
BALCA OVERTURNEDOn: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.13(c)
BALCA affirmed BALCA AFFIRMED
The employer took the director's decision to the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals, and the board upheld it. 4 cases
BALCA AFFIRMEDThat's the last step inside DOL. On: H-2B wage requests.
Source: 20 CFR 655.13(c), 655.61(e)
Denied DENIED
DOL refused the certification, giving its reasons. 12,243 cases
DENIEDThe employer can ask a judge to review the denial. Without that request, the denial is final. On: H-2A and H-2B applications.
Source: 20 CFR 655.53, 655.164
Returned unprocessed RETURNED UNPROCESSED
The request went back to the employer without a decision. 2,576 cases
RETURNED UNPROCESSEDOn: H-2B wage requests.
No published definition. DOL publishes no definition for a wage request, and the record doesn't say why it was returned.
Withdrawn WITHDRAWN
The employer withdrew the filing before DOL decided it. 21,436 cases
WITHDRAWNDOL records no reason. On: Every form.
No published definition. A workflow word. The H-2A and H-2B rules describe withdrawal only after certification.
Where these words come from
DOL's case-status search shows one status per case and never explains it. The regulations (20 CFR part 656 for PERM and wage requests, part 655 for LCAs, H-2A and H-2B) define the steps with a deadline. The rest are workflow words, described here by what the workflow shows.
Look up a case number to see its status, or see every case at one review stage on the RFI and audit page.