PERM Labor Certification in the United States
A secure path to move toward permanent residency as a skilled professional.
The PERM labor certification allows a U.S. employer to support your permanent hiring, demonstrating that your profile is essential and does not affect job opportunities for local workers.
What Is the PERM Labor Certification?
If you work in the United States —or have a permanent job offer— the PERM Labor Certification is the first step for your employer to sponsor you toward a Green Card.
Through this process, the Department of Labor confirms that your position requires specific skills and that there were not enough qualified local candidates to fill it.
For thousands of professionals, it is the clearest and most direct path to obtaining permanent employment-based residency.
How the PERM Labor Certification Works
The PERM follows a series of technical steps: correctly defining the position, completing mandatory recruitment, and filing Form ETA 9089 with fully consistent information.
This process validates your eligibility so you can then move forward toward an EB-2 or EB-3.
- It opens the door to permanent residency (Green Card) via EB-2 or EB-3.
- It allows you to plan your professional future with long-term stability.
- Your spouse and children under 21 can benefit in the following stages.
- It recognizes your background, specialization, and the value you bring to the labor market.
- It applies to professionals across all industries: technology, healthcare, engineering, finance, education, logistics, and more.
For your case to be viable, you need:
- A permanent job offer from your employer in the United States.
- To meet the educational, technical, and experience requirements of the position.
- To submit documentary evidence: degrees, credential evaluations, employment letters, certifications, etc.
- To participate in the recruitment process required by the Department of Labor.
- To validate that your hiring does not affect wages or conditions of U.S. workers.
- An employer willing to sponsor the entire process.
- We evaluate your case comprehensively (employer + professional profile).
- We design the strategy toward EB-2 or EB-3 according to your experience, education, and projection.
- We organize the documentation for the position and your credentials.
- We manage the entire PERM recruitment process.
- We file the ETA 9089 and manage audits if they arise.
- We support you until completing the stage that brings you closer to residency.
Review your PERM case with a lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions About the PERM Certification
It is the initial stage of the employment-based residency process. It allows an employer to demonstrate that they need to hire a foreign professional because there are not enough qualified local candidates for the position.
Timelines vary depending on the Department of Labor, but they typically range between 6 and 12 months, depending on audits and processing volume.
Positions that require university degrees, specific experience, or technical skills that are hard to fill in the local labor market. It applies to technology, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, education, administration, and more.
To demonstrate that they meet the minimum requirements of the position: education, certifications, experience, and skills, backed by documentary evidence.
It does not guarantee it, but it is the mandatory first step toward residency. It is followed by the I-140 petition and either adjustment of status or consular processing.
Yes. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 can obtain derivative immigration benefits when moving toward permanent residency.
Generally, no. The process is tied to the sponsoring employer. Any change requires evaluating risks and, in many cases, restarting the process.