Updated
Where every step stands today
From DOL, USCIS and the State Department, checked 4:00 PM ET, Oct 27
1 Wage request
DOL's middle decision on Oct 26 was filed
Jul 21, 2026
about 3 months
Jul 21 filed Oct 26 decided Wage requestsBacklog shrinking 1,632 fewer in 30 days
Moved 7 days forward since Oct 19
2 PERM
DOL's middle decision on Oct 26 was filed
Jan 9, 2026
about 9½ months
Jan 9 filed Oct 26 decided Where the line standsBacklog shrinking 5,975 fewer in 30 days
Moved 21 days forward since Oct 19
3 I-140
USCIS's typical I-140 takes
3.9 months
Median, Q3 ’26
filed decided Getting slower 0.5 months slower than Q2 ’26USCIS processing times4 Visa bulletin
EB-2, Rest of world: current if filed before
Apr 1, 2025
← Current Waiting →
Your priority date before Apr 1: current Dates for filing: Mar 15, 2026
Advancing Moved 90 days forward in NovemberThe visa bulletin
Pick a step
Who files it, where, and how long it takes right now.
- How long now
- about 3 months
- Filed to decided, for DOL's middle decision on Oct 26
- Who files
- The employer, usually through its attorney
- The form, and where
- ETA-9141, filed with DOL's National Prevailing Wage Center in FLAG
What happens. DOL sets the lowest wage the job may offer, for its occupation and where the work is.
Watch for. The determination is valid for 90 days to a year, and recruitment has to begin before it expires.
- How long now
- About 2 months at the least
- A 30-day job order, then 30 days before the PERM can be filed
- Who files
- The employer
- The form, and where
- Nothing is filed: a state job order, two Sunday ads and a notice at the worksite, plus three more steps for a professional job
What happens. The employer tests the job market for qualified US workers who are available.
Watch for. File no sooner than 30 days after the last step and within 180 days of the first, or the steps have to be run again.
- How long now
- about 9½ months
- Filed to decided, for DOL's middle decision on Oct 26
- Who files
- The employer, through its attorney
- The form, and where
- ETA-9089, filed with DOL in FLAG
What happens. A DOL analyst reviews the application and certifies or denies it, sometimes after asking for more: an audit or a request for information.
Watch for. Cases wait in filing order. One put on hold, sent an RFI or under appeal leaves that order.
- How long now
- 3.9 months
- USCIS's median, Q3 ’26. Premium processing is quicker, for a fee
- Who files
- The employer
- The form, and where
- I-140, filed with USCIS with the certified ETA-9089
What happens. USCIS checks that the worker meets the job's requirements and that the employer can pay the wage. The PERM's filing date becomes the priority date.
Watch for. File within 180 days of the PERM's certification, or the certification expires.
- How long now
- 6 months
- USCIS's median for employment-based cases, Q3 ’26
- Who files
- The worker and their family, inside the US
- The form, and where
- I-485, filed with USCIS once the priority date is current
What happens. USCIS decides the green card itself. A work permit and a travel document can come while it waits.
Watch for. The visa bulletin decides the month you can file, from your category, country and priority date.
- How long now
- Filed before Apr 1, 2025
- EB-2, rest of world, in the November 2026 bulletin. Other lines differ
- Who files
- USCIS approves it, once a visa number is free
- The form, and where
- No new form: the I-485's approval
What happens. USCIS approves the I-485 once the priority date is earlier than the final action date for its line.
Watch for. A cutoff can move back (retrogression), so a date that's current one month may not be the next.
Are the lines getting shorter?
PERM at DOL, Oct 26
792 decided on Oct 26
Still waiting
Analyst review
80,993
Oct 26 470 fewer 7 days 1,758 fewer
On hold
2,880
Oct 26 same 7 days same
Asked for more information
628
Oct 26 28 more 7 days 7 more
Reconsideration appeal
2,629
Oct 26 11 fewer 7 days 24 fewer
Board of appeals
898
Oct 26 same 7 days 12 more
NORD issued
110
Oct 26 9 more 7 days 19 more
Audit response due
1
Oct 26 same 7 days same
Decided, in our record
Certified
102,716
Oct 26 761 more 7 days 3,620 more
Denied
8,543
Oct 26 24 more 7 days 147 more
Withdrawn by the employer
22,030
Oct 26 7 more 7 days 77 more
Decisions over time
989
| Period | Decided |
|---|---|
| September 27, 2026 | 8 |
| September 28, 2026 | 712 |
| September 29, 2026 | 989 |
| September 30, 2026 | 901 |
| October 1, 2026 | 908 |
| October 2, 2026 | 629 |
| October 3, 2026 | 111 |
| October 4, 2026 | 20 |
| October 5, 2026 | 628 |
| October 6, 2026 | 965 |
| October 7, 2026 | 889 |
| October 8, 2026 | 762 |
| October 9, 2026 | 615 |
| October 10, 2026 | 145 |
| October 11, 2026 | 6 |
| October 12, 2026 | 11 |
| October 13, 2026 | 552 |
| October 14, 2026 | 690 |
| October 15, 2026 | 734 |
| October 16, 2026 | 656 |
| October 17, 2026 | 146 |
| October 18, 2026 | 3 |
| October 19, 2026 | 659 |
| October 20, 2026 | 668 |
| October 21, 2026 | 786 |
| October 22, 2026 | 821 |
| October 23, 2026 | 753 |
| October 24, 2026 | 124 |
| October 25, 2026 | 3 |
| October 26, 2026 | 596 |
- Certified
- Denied
- Withdrawn by the employer
The November 2026 visa bulletin
| Category | Rest of world | China | India | Mexico | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 priority workers | Current unchanged | Aug 1, 2023 +31 days | Feb 1, 2023 unchanged | Current unchanged | Current unchanged |
| EB-2 advanced degree and NIW | Apr 1, 2025 +90 days | Oct 1, 2021 unchanged | Nov 1, 2013 unchanged | Apr 1, 2025 +90 days | Apr 1, 2025 +90 days |
| EB-3 skilled and professional | Jun 15, 2024 +31 days | Jan 22, 2022 +14 days | Jan 22, 2014 +21 days | Jun 15, 2024 +31 days | Aug 15, 2023 unchanged |
| EB-3 other workers | Jun 1, 2022 +151 days | Oct 1, 2019 unchanged | Jan 22, 2014 +21 days | Jun 1, 2022 +151 days | Jan 1, 2022 unchanged |
Moved forward Unchanged Moved back
Every page, step by step
Your case
Wage request
Recruitment
PERM
I-140
Green card line
Employers and firms
Breakdowns
Wages
Other visas