PERM Report: March 2025
Monthly analysis of PERM labor certification cases
Total Cases
13,294
Certification Rate
94.6%
Avg Processing
488 days
Audit Rate
N/A
Case Outcomes
Summary
March 2025 PERM labor certification data reveals a robust and highly favorable environment for EB-3 applicants, with 13,294 total cases processed and an impressive overall certification rate of 94.6%. Of the cases decided, 12,575 received certification while only 174 were denied, indicating that well-prepared applications continue to succeed at high rates. However, the average processing time of 488 days — roughly 16 months — remains a significant planning consideration for employers and foreign nationals navigating the labor certification stage before filing an I-140 petition. Geographic concentration is pronounced, with California alone accounting for nearly 20% of all national PERM filings (2,601 cases), reflecting its dominant tech and professional services economy. Notably, California's certification rate of 90.2% is the lowest among the top five states, suggesting that DOL audits and prevailing wage complexity may be more common in high-cost labor markets. By contrast, Georgia posted a 98.5% certification rate on 941 cases — the highest among top states — likely driven by food processing and manufacturing employers who have standardized their PERM processes. Industry-level data shows Professional Services leading in both volume (3,571 cases) and certification rate (96.2%), confirming that white-collar and tech-adjacent roles continue to dominate EB-3 filings alongside traditional manufacturing pathways. The employer breakdown is particularly telling: food processing companies like Consolidated Catfish Producers, FPL Food, and JCG Foods of Georgia each achieved 100% certification rates on hundreds of filings, underscoring how large agricultural and food manufacturing operations have industrialized the PERM process for EB-3 unskilled and semi-skilled worker categories.
Key Insights
- • The 94.6% national certification rate signals that PERM remains highly achievable for properly documented applications — denials account for only 1.3% of all cases, making withdrawals (4.1%) a more common outcome, often due to employers abandoning positions rather than DOL rejections.
- • California's below-average certification rate (90.2% vs. 94.6% national average) despite the highest filing volume suggests EB-3 applicants sponsored in CA face elevated scrutiny — likely due to higher prevailing wage determinations and more complex labor market conditions requiring stronger recruitment documentation.
- • The 488-day average processing time means EB-3 applicants should plan for over 16 months at the PERM stage alone, before I-140 and consular processing — total green card timelines for many countries will extend well beyond this due to visa bulletin backlogs.
- • Food and agricultural processing companies (Catfish Producers, FPL Food, JCG Foods) are among the largest PERM filers with 100% certification rates, representing a reliable EB-3 unskilled worker pathway that is often overlooked compared to tech-sector filings.
- • Georgia's combination of high volume (941 cases) and the highest certification rate (98.5%) among top states points to a favorable regulatory environment and employer familiarity with the process — potentially worth considering for applicants evaluating job offer locations.
- • Finance & Insurance leads all industries in certification rate (96.7%) despite moderate volume (957 cases), suggesting these employers invest heavily in proper PERM documentation and prevailing wage compliance before filing.
- • Microsoft's 345 filings at a 98.3% certification rate demonstrates that large tech employers with dedicated immigration teams achieve near-perfect results, while smaller or first-time PERM filers without experienced legal counsel are likely responsible for the majority of the 174 denials.
Top States
Top Industries
Top Occupations
Industry Analysis
Source: DOL PERM Disclosure Data
Report generated: May 20, 2026