PERM

PERM stands for Program Electronic Review Management. This is a permanent labour certification process managed by the U.S. Department of Labor – DOL, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for permanent employment in the U.S.

PERM is the first step in the employment-based green card process, specifically for EB-2 and EB-3 immigrant visas. Through PERM, the employer must demonstrate that there are no qualified, willing, and available US workers to perform the job. They must conduct recruitment according to regulations, including advertising the position in specific sources, and ensure the salary paid is the prevailing wage so as not to negatively affect US workers.

The PERM process includes the following key steps:

• The employer defines the job description and minimum requirements, based on the actual skills of the foreign worker.
• Request a prevailing wage determination from the DOL.
• Conduct mandatory recruitment, such as placing advertisements in newspapers, job websites, and internal notices.
• If there are no qualified US candidates, file form ETA-9089 online via the DOL's FLAG system.
• Once approved, the employer has 180 days to file form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) with USCIS.

PERM was introduced in 2005 to replace the old system, aiming to shorten processing times to under 60 days, but it sometimes still causes a backlog due to audits or high application volumes. If you are considering US immigration through employment, you should consult an immigration lawyer to ensure compliance with regulations.