| Processing Times Update Schedule |
|---|
| PWD: Updated COB at the end of first work week of each month for data ending at 12am EST at the first of each month |
| PERM: Updated COB at end of first work week of each month for data ending at 12am EST at the first of each month |
| H-2A: Updated Monday of each week (or next business day) for weekly data ending COB of each Saturday |
| H-2B: Updated Monday of each week (or next business day) for weekly data ending COB of each Saturday and additional updates on Wednesday and Friday for data as of COB on previous day |
| CW-1: Updated Monday of each week (or next business day) for weekly data ending COB of each Saturday |
Prevailing Wage Determination Processing Times (as of 9/30/2026)
| Processing Queue | OEWS Receipt Datei | Non-OEWS Receipt Datei |
|---|---|---|
| CW-1 | August 2026 | -- |
| H-1B | June 2026 | June 2026 |
| H-2B | August 2026 | -- |
| PERM | June 2026 | June 2026 |
| Redeterminations | H-1B: August 2026 PERM: July 2026 | |
| Center Director Reviews | CW-1: September 2026 H-1B: July 2026 H-2B: June 2026 PERM: July 2026 | |
| CW-1 | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| May 2026 | 2 |
| June 2026 | 8 |
| July 2026 | 5 |
| August 2026 | 36 |
| September 2026 | 159 |
| H-1B | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| April 2026 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 1 |
| June 2026 | 74 |
| July 2026 | 248 |
| August 2026 | 183 |
| September 2026 | 201 |
| H-2B | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| July 2026 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 548 |
| September 2026 | 3,975 |
| PERM | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| April 2026 | 8 |
| May 2026 | 36 |
| June 2026 | 3,532 |
| July 2026 | 15,959 |
| August 2026 | 14,980 |
| September 2026 | 14,519 |
[i] The above dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for Redeterminations or Center Director Review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted.
[ii] Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the total, which may cause the numbers for previous months to fluctuate.
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | January 2026 |
| Audit Review | December 2025 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | May 2026 |
These dates reflect the month and year in which cases were filed and are currently being adjudicated. The Reconsideration Request to the CO date reflects the month and year in which cases that are currently being reviewed were appealed. For various reasons, OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted. If your application was filed more than three months prior to the month posted, you may contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk for a status on the application at oflc.plc@dol.gov.
| Determinations | Month | Calendar Days |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst Review | August 2026 | 336 |
| Audit Review | August 2026 | N/A |
These dates reflect the amount of time to process applications. Actual processing times for each employer’s PERM application may vary from the average depending on material facts and individual circumstances of the case. OFLC is reporting the average processing time for all PERM applications for the most recent month.
H-2A Processing Times (updated as of close of business 10/17/2026)
| Case Receipt Week | Total Cases Submitted1 | Total Cases Issued First NOA or NOD | Percent Receipt Week Issued NOA or NOD |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOST RECENT WEEK COMPLETED | |||
| October 4 - October 10 | 356 | 356 | 100% |
| CURRENT PROCESSING STATUS | |||
| October 11 - October 17 | 216 | 154 | 71.3% |
| Processing Activity | Total Cases | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Average Number of Days to Process Complete2 Cases (cumulative over the last 2 weeks) | 537 | 17 Calendar Days |
| Average Number of Days to Process Incomplete Cases (cumulative over the last 2 weeks) | 124 | 32 Calendar Days |
[1] Withdrawn and rejected applications are excluded from the total, which may cause these numbers to fluctuate.
[2] A complete H-2A application is defined as one containing all the documentation (e.g., housing inspection report, workers' compensation information, recruitment report) necessary for the OFLC Certifying Officer to issue a final determination 30 days before the start date of need.
H-2B Processing Times (updated as of close of business 10/22/026)
| STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing Window | Total Cases SubMitted3 & Positions Requested | Total Cases Issued NOA or NOD | Percent Issued a First NOA or NOD | Total Cases Pending - Post NOA or NOD Issued4 | Total Cases Issued Final Decision & Positions Certified |
| Jan 2026 | 8,487 (133,006 Workers) | 8,487 | 100.0% | 5 (126 Workers) | 8,482 (121,558 Workers) |
| Feb 2026 | 1,477 (19,989 Workers) | 1,477 | 100.0% | -- | 1,477 (17,236 Workers) |
| Mar 2026 | 252 (3,942 Workers) | 252 | 100.0% | -- | 252 (3,017 Workers) |
| April 2026 | 119 (1,720 Workers) | 119 | 100.0% | 1 (5 Workers) | 118 (738 Workers) |
| May 2026 | 74 (893 Workers) | 74 | 100.0% | -- | 74 (643 Workers) |
| Jun 2026 | 72 (805 Workers) | 72 | 100.0% | -- | 72 (699 Workers) |
| Jul 2026 | 6 (208 Workers) | 6 | 100.0% | -- | 6 (19 Workers) |
| Total Cases Issued Final Decision and Positions Certified (for FY 2026 Second Half Visa Cap) | 10,475 (143,891 Workers) | ||||
| STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing Window | Total Cases Submitted3 & Positions Requested | Total Cases Issued NOA or NOD | Percent Issued a First NOA or NOD | Total Cases Pending - Post NOA or NOD Issued4 | Total Cases Issued Final Decision & Positions Certified |
| Jul 3 - 5 Group A | 1,806 (33,927 Workers) | 1,806 | 100.0% | 2 (121 Workers) | 1,804
(31,438 Workers) |
| Jul 3 - 5 Group B | 714 (15,715 Workers) | 714 | 100.0% | 1 (60 Workers) | 713 (14,318 Workers) |
| July 2026 | 324 (6,419 Workers) | 324 | 100.0% | 1 (3 Workers) | 323 (5,914 Workers) |
| August 2026 | 488 (8,902 Workers) | 488 | 100.0% | 15 (801 Workers) | 473 (6,853 Workers) |
| September 2026 | 285 (4,483 Workers) | 285 | 100.0% | 61 (884 Workers) | 224 (3,080 Workers) |
| October 2026 | 357 (9,917 Workers) | 172 | 67.0% | 171 (6,074 Workers) | 1 (0 Workers) |
| Total Cases Issued Final Decision and Positions Certified (for FY 2027 First Half Visa Cap) | 3,313 (58,523 Workers) | ||||
[3] Withdrawn and rejected applications are excluded from the total, which may cause these numbers to fluctuate.
[4] Total number of pending applications that received a NOA and are actively recruiting for U.S. workers or responding to a NOD.
| STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month of Receipt | Total Cases Submitted6 & Positions Requested | Total Cases Issued NOA or NOD | Percent Issued a First NOA or NOD | Total Cases Pending - Post NOA or NOD Issued7 | Total Cases Issued Final Decision & Positions Certified |
| February | 98 (417 Workers) | 98 | 100.0% | 1 (5 Workers) | 97 (331 Workers) |
| March | 112 (484 Workers) | 112 | 100.0% | 1 (3 Workers) | 111 (372 Workers) |
| April | 314 (1,208 Workers) | 314 | 100.0% | 2 (6 Workers) | 312 (1,044 Workers) |
| May | 301 (1,089 Workers) | 301 | 100.0% | 10 (87 Workers) | 291 (898 Workers) |
| June | 351 (1,625 Workers) | 351 | 100.0% | 16 (107 Workers) | 335 (1,166 Workers) |
| July | 94 (342 Workers) | 94 | 100.0% | 21 (96 Workers) | 73 (188 Workers) |
| August | 128 (498 Workers) | 128 | 100.0% | 35 (195 Workers) | 93 (237 Workers) |
| September | 136 (584 Workers) | 136 | 100.0% | 120 (512 Workers) | 16 (71 Workers) |
| October | 103 (494 Workers) | 98 | 95.1% | 97 (482 Workers) | 1 (5 Workers) |
| STEP 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | STEP 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Type | Total Cases Submitted6 & Positions Requested | Total Cases Issued NOA or NOD | Percent Issued a First NOA or NOD | Total Cases Pending - Post NOA or NOD Issued7 | Total Cases Issued Final Decision & Positions Certified |
| New CW-1 Visas8 | 850 (4,121 Workers) | 847 | 99.6% | 186 (905 Workers) | 661 (2,458 Workers) |
| Renewal of CW-1 Visas9 | 1,203 (4,456 Workers) | 1,201 | 99.8% | 117 (588 Workers) | 1,084 (3,279 Workers) |
| TOTALS | 2,035 (8,577 Workers) | 2,048 | 99.8% | 303 (1,493 Workers) | 1,745 (5,737 Workers) |
[6] Withdrawn and rejected applications are excluded from the total, which may cause these numbers to fluctuate.
[7] Total number of pending applications that either received a NOA and actively recruiting for U.S. workers or responding to a NOD.
[8] Indicates employer is requesting to hire a foreign worker who is not already performing work in the CNMI in CW-1 visa status.
[9] Indicates employer is requesting to extend the employment of a foreign worker in CW-1 visa status.