Filing month
January 2026 PERM Backlog
Latest pending PERM Labor Certification applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor in January 2026, plus estimated wait time based on DOL OFLC data.
Pending cases
9,900
Total received
9,900
Pending share
100%
Where January 2026 sits in the queue
DOL is currently working through October 2024. There are 15 months ahead of January 2026, totaling 158,500 pending applications.
Est. 1018 days until January 2026 becomes active
About the January 2026 PERM filing cohort
All PERM Labor Certification applications filed in January 2026 entered the DOL queue together. Within the month, applications are processed alphabetically by sponsor name, so an employer starting with "A" will generally be adjudicated weeks before a "Z" employer filed the same month. Use the calculator to estimate your specific place in line.
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