To track a PERM labor-certification case, use the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) FLAG Case Status Search with the case number, including its dashes. Filings made before May 31, 2023 use DOL’s legacy PLC status system. A queue date is only a workload snapshot, not a promised decision date. If DOL sends an audit or request for information (RFI), follow that notice exactly: upload the response through the PERM Online System, answer every question, and meet the stated deadline. The employer or its authorized attorney or agent normally controls both the lookup and any formal response.
What a PERM case is—and who can act on it
PERM is the DOL labor-certification stage an employer generally completes before filing an employment-based immigrant petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The employer must document that it tested the U.S. labor market and that hiring the foreign worker will not adversely affect U.S. workers under the applicable rules.
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Because the employer is the filer, the employer’s point of contact and its authorized attorney or agent usually receive confirmation emails, notices, and portal access. A beneficiary can ask for copies and status updates, but should coordinate with that filer before contacting DOL or sending documents. A beneficiary generally cannot substitute a personal explanation for the employer’s required filing or audit response.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsDo not confuse a DOL PERM audit or RFI with a USCIS request for evidence (RFE) on a later immigrant petition. The agencies, portals, deadlines, and legal standards differ. First identify which agency issued the notice; then use only the channel and instructions in that notice.
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How to track a PERM case
1. Find the official case number
Ask the employer or immigration attorney for the PERM filing confirmation or notice. Copy the case number exactly, including every dash. A case number is different from an employee ID, a USCIS receipt number, or an attorney’s internal file number.
For a new FLAG filing, the FAQ describes a short “pre-submitted” phase. It is usually under 15 minutes before the status changes to “submitted” and a permanent case number becomes available. The confirmation email goes to the employer point of contact and, when applicable, the agent or attorney email. If no confirmation arrives, the filer should use the FLAG Technical Help Desk process for a missing confirmation rather than creating a duplicate filing.
2. Choose the correct DOL status system
- Filed on or after May 31, 2023: open the FLAG Case Status Search.
- Filed before May 31, 2023: use the legacy PLC status site linked from DOL’s PERM instructions.
The current public search includes an automated verification step. Enter the complete case number, including dashes, and complete the verification interaction. The public page cannot display a case-specific result without that information, so no one can reliably infer a particular case’s progress from the search page alone.
3. Open Case Details when the filing is available
For a submitted FLAG case, Case Details can provide the submitted application PDF and a record of case actions. Save a copy of the confirmation, application, and every later notice in one secure folder. The employer and attorney should compare the portal record with their internal filing copy so that an outdated address, job description, or contact does not go unnoticed.
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4. Record the status and the date you checked
Write down the exact status shown, the date and time of the lookup, and who performed it. A screenshot or downloaded PDF is useful for a personal file, but it does not replace the official notice. A status can change after the lookup, and DOL’s queue page is updated separately from an individual case record.
How to interpret DOL processing times
DOL’s FLAG Processing Times page has two different kinds of information: a queue marker showing the filing month currently being worked and an average duration for a group of cases. Neither is an individualized completion estimate.
| Stage or measure | Snapshot reported by DOL | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst Review queue | December 2025, page marked “as of 10/05/2026” | Shows the filing month at the front of the posted analyst queue; it is not a promise for any case. |
| Audit Review queue | December 2025, page marked “as of 10/05/2026” | Shows the posted audit workload month, not the date an audited case will be decided. |
| Reconsideration Request to the Certifying Officer | May 2026, page marked “as of 10/05/2026” | Applies to that separate reconsideration stage. |
| Analyst Review average | 336 calendar days for cases processed in August 2026 | A population average reported by DOL, not a countdown for an individual filing. |
| Audit Review average | N/A for August 2026 | DOL did not publish an average for that month. |
The dates and figures above are a dated snapshot. DOL says the processing data are updated at the end of the first work week of each month, so check the live page before relying on them. DOL also cautions that individual processing varies with the facts and circumstances of a case. A filing can move faster or slower than the posted month because of case complexity, an audit, a correction, or another procedural event.
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Compare your filing month with the posted queue month
- Confirm the exact PERM filing date with the employer or attorney; do not use the date a recruitment step began or the date a USCIS petition was filed.
- Compare that filing month with the current Analyst Review or Audit Review month, depending on the status shown for the case.
- Treat the 336-day figure as historical context for the August 2026 analyst-review population, not as an entitlement to a decision after 336 days.
- Use the system that matches the filing cutoff. A pre-May 31, 2023 filing may not appear in the current FLAG search.
When and how to contact DOL about a delay
The FLAG Processing Times page states that if a PERM application was filed more than three months before the month DOL currently posts, the filer may contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk for a status. This is a published contact threshold, not an acceleration program. The page lists [email protected] and [email protected]; verify the live page before using either address because contact details can change.
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The employer or authorized representative should make the inquiry and include enough information for DOL to identify the filing. A concise request should state the case number, filing date, employer, current portal status, and the date the posted queue passed the applicable threshold. Keep the message factual and retain a copy.
Nothing on DOL’s processing page says that a helpdesk inquiry accelerates adjudication. Repeated speculative emails, duplicate filings, or attempts by a beneficiary to give DOL conflicting instructions can create confusion. Before contacting DOL, confirm that the employer and attorney have the same case number, current email and mailing details, and the latest portal status.
A practical delay checklist
- Verify the record. Recheck the case number, filing date, filing system, and displayed status.
- Check the queue. Note the current posted month and the date on which DOL updated the page.
- Ask the filer for a document check. Confirm whether any audit, correction request, or other notice arrived by email, mail, or in the portal.
- Check contact details. Make sure the employer point of contact and attorney or agent email are still monitored.
- Apply the three-month rule. If the filing is more than three months older than the posted month, the filer may use the OFLC PERM Helpdesk addresses shown on the current DOL page.
- Keep a timeline. Record every lookup, notice, response, and DOL communication in date order.
What to do when DOL sends a PERM audit or RFI
1. Confirm that the notice is from DOL
Read the heading, case number, issuing agency, requested documents, response channel, and due date. A DOL audit or RFI at the labor-certification stage is not a USCIS RFE. If the notice is from USCIS, follow the USCIS notice and its filing method instead of the PERM instructions in this article.
2. Calculate the deadline from the actual audit letter
Under the DOL rule at 20 CFR 656.20, the audit letter specifies a date 30 days from the letter. The Certifying Officer may grant one extension of up to 30 days. The extension is discretionary, not automatic. Use the date printed in the notice and any time-zone or receipt instructions it gives; do not calculate a deadline from the date someone happened to open an email.
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A missed or incomplete response can result in denial. The rule also warns that failure to provide documentation can lead to denial and loss of administrative review. If a deadline is close, the employer should involve qualified immigration counsel immediately rather than waiting for a portal problem or an informal email reply.
3. Build a question-by-question response
Make a checklist that reproduces every numbered request in the notice. For each item, identify the document, the person responsible for obtaining it, and the file name that will be uploaded. Answer every question directly. If a requested item does not apply, explain why in the cover letter instead of leaving the question blank.
- Use the case number and employer name consistently on the cover letter and file names.
- Provide complete, legible records for the period and position identified in the notice.
- Explain any discrepancy between the audit request and the original filing rather than silently substituting a different document.
- Have the employer’s authorized representative review the package for consistency before submission.
- Keep the final response, exhibits, upload confirmation, and any extension request in the case file.
4. Upload through the PERM Online System
DOL’s May 16, 2019 PERM training presentation states: “When responding to an Audit Notification or Request for Information (RFI), make sure to upload your response in the PERM Online System.” The presentation is labeled for government training use only and says it does not carry the force of a legal opinion, so the current notice and portal instructions control.
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Do not send the substantive response by replying to [email protected]. DOL’s training identifies that address as the technical help desk, not the channel for an audit answer. Use the upload function specified in the notice, confirm that the submission completed, and save the confirmation.
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5. Request an extension before the deadline if necessary
If a required record cannot be assembled on time, request an extension before the response deadline. Explain the specific reason, identify the affected documents, and propose a date by which the complete response will be filed. Because the Certifying Officer has discretion to grant one extension of up to 30 days, continue preparing the response while the request is pending; do not assume silence means approval.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to distinguish common PERM status problems
| What you see or hear | What it usually means | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| “Pre-submitted” in FLAG | The filing has entered the portal workflow but the permanent case number is not yet available; the FAQ says this phase is usually under 15 minutes. | Wait for the submitted status and confirmation. If no confirmation arrives, the employer or attorney should contact the FLAG Technical Help Desk. |
| No result in the current FLAG search | The case may predate May 31, 2023, the number may be mistyped, or the verification step may not have been completed. | Re-enter the full number with dashes, complete verification, and use the legacy PLC system for an older filing. |
| Queue month appears older than expected | The posted month is a workload marker, not an individual adjudication deadline. | Compare the filing month and stage, then apply the three-month contact threshold if eligible. |
| Audit or RFI notice arrives | DOL needs additional documentation or clarification before deciding the labor certification. | Follow the notice, answer every request, upload through PERM Online, and meet or properly request an extension of the deadline. |
| USCIS RFE arrives later | This is an evidence request on a USCIS petition, not a DOL PERM audit. | Use the USCIS notice, deadline, and submission method; do not send the response to DOL’s PERM portal. |
When professional help is especially important
Routine status checking usually requires only the case number and the correct DOL system. A complicated audit, an RFI involving contradictory records, a denial, a request for reconsideration, or a threatened appeal is different. The employer should consider qualified U.S. immigration counsel that can evaluate the recruitment file, explain the governing rule, and prepare a case-specific response. No extension, approval, or favorable outcome can be promised from a general checklist.
The beneficiary should not independently alter the employer’s recruitment evidence, contact DOL with a competing version of events, or submit an unsolicited explanation. Those actions can conflict with the employer’s filing and may not be accepted as a formal response.
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Records to keep throughout the case
- The signed or submitted PERM application and its confirmation.
- The case number and screenshots or PDFs of portal status and Case Details.
- Every DOL notice, including the envelope or email date when relevant.
- The queue page date and stage noted during each status review.
- All helpdesk inquiries and replies.
- The complete audit or RFI response, exhibits, extension request, upload receipt, and final decision.
Organizing these records by date gives the employer and attorney a reliable chronology if DOL asks a follow-up question or the case later moves to reconsideration or a USCIS filing.
Bottom line for a delayed PERM case
Start with the exact case number and the right status system, then use DOL’s queue only as context. The October 5, 2026 snapshot showed December 2025 for both Analyst Review and Audit Review, a May 2026 reconsideration queue, and a 336-calendar-day August 2026 analyst-review average; those figures are not individual deadlines. If the filing is more than three months older than the month DOL posts, the filer may contact the OFLC PERM Helpdesk using the current addresses on DOL’s page. For an audit or RFI, answer every question, upload through PERM Online, request any extension before the deadline, and let the actual notice—not a general estimate—control.
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