PERM Case Number: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Check It

Written by the Ellis Porter content team. This article has not been reviewed by an attorney. It is general information, not legal advice.

If your green card is moving through PERM, the case number is the one piece of the process you can actually hold onto. It is how you look the case up, how you talk about it with your employer’s attorney, and how you know which application is yours. Here is what it is, how to get it, and what it can and cannot tell you.

Do you get a case number for PERM?

Yes. When your employer files a PERM application (Form ETA-9089) in the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Foreign Labor Application Gateway, known as FLAG, DOL assigns it a permanent case number.

The FLAG FAQ explains the timing. After submission, a case usually stays in a "pre-submitted" phase for under fifteen minutes. Then the status updates to "submitted," and the official case number becomes available.

There is usually a second number in the same case. The prevailing wage request (Form ETA-9141) that comes before PERM is its own case with its own number. The employer links that wage case to the PERM application when it files.

What does a PERM case number look like?

DOL’s own pages show these formats:

Formatting matters. The FLAG FAQ says that to link a wage determination from another account to a PERM application, the employer needs the properly formatted full wage case number. And the Case Status Search tells users whose number returns no result to search in a valid format.

DOL moved PERM filing into FLAG in June 2023. Cases filed in the older system before then used a different setup, so if your case is older, ask your employer’s attorney how to track it.

Who gets the PERM case number?

Your employer and its attorney, not you. Per the FLAG FAQ, DOL emails the confirmation with the assigned case number to the employer’s point of contact and to the attorney or agent listed on the application.

That is normal, and it does not mean you are being kept out of the loop. PERM is legally the employer’s application. Under 20 CFR 656.10(b), notices go to the attorney or agent authorized to represent the employer. Simply ask for:

• the PERM case number;
• the prevailing wage case number; and
• the date the PERM was filed.

Most employers and law firms share these readily. With them, you can track the case yourself.

How do you check PERM status with the case number?

Use DOL’s free Case Status Search. You do not need a FLAG account.

1. Open the Case Status Search on flag.dol.gov.
2. Enter your case number. You can enter up to 30, one per line.
3. Complete the automated verification.
4. Select Search.

The page says the search covers PERM (Form ETA-9089), prevailing wage requests (Forms ETA-9141 and 9141C), and DOL’s temporary programs such as H-2A, H-2B, and the Labor Condition Application used for H-1B.

The case status tells you where the case stands. It does not tell you how long the rest will take. For that, compare your filing month to DOL’s processing times page. As of 10/05/2026, PERM analyst review was working on applications filed in January 2026, and cases decided in August 2026 averaged 336 days. Our PERM status check guide explains how to read both together.

What can a PERM case end in?

Under 20 CFR 656.17(b), a filed PERM is certified, denied, or selected for audit.

• Certified: your employer can file the Form I-140. Under 20 CFR 656.30(b), it must do so within 180 calendar days or the certification expires.
• Audit: DOL issued an audit letter asking for documents. Under 20 CFR 656.20, the employer generally has 30 days to respond, with one possible extension of up to 30 days.
• Denied: the decision states the reasons, and the employer has 30 days to request review, or it can file a new application.

Case number vs priority date vs receipt number

People mix these up all the time, and it is easy to see why. Here is the difference:

Your priority date is a date, not a number. Under 8 CFR 204.5(d), it is the date DOL accepted the labor certification application for processing. Once your I-140 is approved, you compare that date against the Visa Bulletin each month.

The USCIS receipt number comes later. When your employer files the Form I-140, USCIS sends a receipt notice with its own number. USCIS’s EB-3 page explains that for labor certifications filed in FLAG on or after June 1, 2023, the I-140 is accompanied by the approved and signed Form ETA-9089 Final Determination.

When the case number shows no movement

Long stretches with no change are normal. DOL review currently takes close to a year on average, and the case status will not update while the case waits for an analyst.

There is one situation where the usual timelines do not apply. On October 8, 2026, the administration announced that DOL would not accept new PERM applications from, or process pending ones for, Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini. If one of them is your sponsor, your case may not move until the suspension ends. As of reporting through October 21, 2026, no end date had been announced. Our article on the PERM suspension covers what affected employees can consider. PERM continues for all other employers.

If your filing month is well behind DOL’s current queue and nothing has changed, ask your employer’s attorney whether DOL sent an audit letter or other request. Those notices go to the employer’s representative.

Keep a simple record of your numbers and dates

Green card cases run for years, often across job changes, moves, and new lawyers. A one-page record saves a great deal of stress later. Keep:

• your prevailing wage case number and determination date;
• your PERM case number, filing date, and certification date;
• a copy of the certified Form ETA-9089 Final Determination, if your employer shares it;
• your I-140 receipt number, approval date, and category (EB-2 or EB-3); and
• your I-485 receipt number and filing date, if you file for adjustment of status.

These dates are what decide your options if anything changes. For example, under 8 CFR 204.5(e), an approved I-140 can give you its priority date for a later petition, and AC21 portability depends on how long your I-485 has been pending. Our guide to changing jobs during PERM explains why each date matters.

Employers keep records too. Under 20 CFR 656.10(f), the employer must retain the PERM application and all supporting documents for five years from filing.

How an Ellis Porter attorney can help

For employers, we track priority dates, expirations, and next steps before they become urgent, and give your HR team clear status on every case. For employees, we can explain what your case status means and what comes next, including the timeline after PERM. Learn more about our employment-based immigration practice.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. DOL systems and case number formats can change. Confirm current details on flag.dol.gov and consult a licensed immigration attorney about your case.

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