| 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 03/05/2026)
| Processing Queue | OEWS Receipt Datei | Non-OEWS Receipt Datei |
|---|---|---|
| CW-1 | January 2026 | -- |
| H-1B | December 2025 | December 2025 |
| H-2B | February 2026 | February 2026 |
| PERM | December 2025 | December 2025 |
| Redeterminations | H-1B: November 2025 PERM: November 2025 | |
| Center Director Reviews | CW-1: December 2025 H-1B: N/A H-2B: August 2025 PERM: December 2025 | |
| CW-1 | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| December 2025 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 34 |
| February 2026 | 154 |
| H-1B | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| November 2025 | 13 |
| December 2025 | 141 |
| January 2026 | 216 |
| February 2026 | 264 |
| H-2B | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| December 2025 | 8 |
| January 2026 | 88 |
| February 2026 | 233 |
| PERM | |
|---|---|
| Receipt Monthii | Remaining Requestsii |
| July 2025 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 17 |
| September 2025 | 79 |
| October 2025 | 2 |
| November 2025 | 277 |
| December 2025 | 10,748 |
| January 2026 | 16,601 |
| February 2026 | 12,147 |
[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[ii] Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the total, which may cause the numbers for previous months to fluctuate.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 | October 2024 |
| Audit Review | June 2025 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | September 2025 |
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 | February 2026 | 503 |
| Audit Review | N/A | 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 3/7/2026)
| Case Receipt Week | Total Cases Submitted1 | Total Cases Issued First NOA or NOD | Percent Receipt Week Issued NOA or NOD |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOST RECENT WEEK COMPLETED | |||
| Feb 22 - 28 | 498 | 498 | 100% |
| CURRENT PROCESSING STATUS | |||
| Mar 1 - 7 | 401 | 281 | 70.1% |
| Processing Activity | Total Cases | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Average Number of Days to Process Complete2 Cases (cumulative over the last 2 weeks) | 1,009 | 20 Calendar Days |
| Average Number of Days to Process Incomplete Cases (cumulative over the last 2 weeks) | 851 | 37 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 3/7/2026)
| 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 2025 | 2,662 (52,780 Workers) | 2,662 | 100% | -- | 2,662 (45,807 Workers) |
| Aug 2025 | 475 (9,298 Workers) | 475 | 100% | -- | 475 (7,339 Workers) |
| Sep 2025 | 293 (6,147 Workers) | 293 | 100% | -- | 293 (5,212 Workers) |
| Oct 2025 | 73 (3,093 Workers) | 73 | 100% | -- | 73 (3,093 Workers) |
| Nov 2025 | 1,070 (26,243 Workers) | 1,070 | 100% | 1 (6 Workers) | 1,069 (25,798 Workers) |
| Dec 2025 | 1,707 (30,236 Workers) | 1,707 | 100% | 5 (226 Workers) | 1,702 (29,410 Workers) |
| Jan 2026 | 50 (1,283 Workers) | 24 | 48% | 1 (2 Workers) | 23 (102 Workers) |
| Feb 2026 | 5 (123 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total Cases Issued Final Decision and Positions Certified (for FY 2026 First Half Visa Cap) | 6,297 (116,687 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 |
| Jan 1-3 Group A | 2,167 (34,266 Workers) | 2,167 | 100% | 68 (1,107 Workers) | 2,099 (31,399 Workers) |
| Jan 1-3 Group B | 1,152 (17,674 Workers) | 1,152 | 100% | 322 (4,837 Workers) | 830 (12,001 Workers) |
| Jan 1-3 Group C | 1040 (17,143 Workers) | 1,040 | 100% | 1,034 (16,791 Workers) | 6 (7 Workers) |
| Jan 1-3 Group D | 1,094 (17,412 Workers) | 686 | 62.7% | 686 (11,297 Workers | -- |
| Jan 1-3 Group E | 1,123 (16,961 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jan 1-3 Group F | 1,063 (17,378 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jan 1-3 Group G | 1,024 (16,929 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jan 1-3 Group H | 400 (6,153 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1/1-1/35 | 4 (22 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1/4-1/10 | 71 (1,086 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1/11-1/17 | 74 (711 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1/18-1/24 | 44 (871 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1/25-1/31 | 163 (1,473 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2/1-2/7 | 986 (14,529 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2/8-2/14 | 667 (7,874 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2/15-2/21 | 390 (6,217 Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2/22-2/28 | 208 (3,896 Total Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 3/1-3/7 | 128 (2,131 Total Workers) | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total Cases Issued Final Decision and Positions Certified (for FY 2026 Second Half Visa Cap) | 2,935 (43,407 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.
[5] Cases submitted during the peak filing window for dates of need after April 1, 2026.
| 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 |
| September | 125 (469 Workers) | 125 | 100% | 1 (1 Workers) | 124 (276 Workers) |
| October | 1 (5 Workers) | 1 | 100% | -- | 1 (5 Workers) |
| November | 158 (739 Workers) | 158 | 100% | -- | 158 (572 Workers) |
| December | 119 (438 Workers) | 119 | 100% | 2 (5 Workers) | 117 (337 Workers) |
| January | 145 (704 Workers) | 145 | 100% | 83 (422 Workers) | 62 (225 Workers) |
| February | 103 (431 Workers) | 95 | 92.2% | 95 (418 Workers) | -- |
| March | 42 (146 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 | 311 (1,459 Workers) | 281 | 90.4% | 99 (491 Workers) | 182 (680 Workers) |
| Renewal of CW-1 Visas9 | 257 (1,004 Workers) | 237 | 92.2% | 81 (354 Workers) | 156 (459 Workers) |
| TOTALS | 568 (2,463 Workers) | 518 | 91.2% | 180 (845 Workers) | 338 (1,139 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.