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Green card (PERM) sponsors
PERM labor certification is the first step of most employment-based green cards. Employers filed 281,690 applications decided in fiscal years 2024–2026; certified: 257,433. For applications certified in June 2026, the Department of Labor took a median of 398 days from filing to decision.
PERM processing time by month →
Top green card sponsors
Occupations
- Software Developers57,871
- Computer Systems Analysts11,589
- Data Scientists8,933
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers8,524
- Fast Food and Counter Workers7,190
- Project Management Specialists6,526
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers4,691
- Industrial Engineers4,689
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists4,594
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers4,315
- Mechanical Engineers3,726
- Nursing Assistants3,593
- Computer and Information Systems Managers3,591
- Accountants and Auditors3,562
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer3,417
- Data Warehousing Specialists3,387
- Helpers--Production Workers3,110
- Packers and Packagers, Hand2,606
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists2,565
- Team Assemblers2,504
- Personal Care Aides2,431
- Civil Engineers2,416
- Electrical Engineers2,369
- Financial and Investment Analysts2,368
- Management Analysts2,363
- Cooks, Restaurant2,352
- Home Health Aides2,321
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2,252
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers2,122
- Financial Quantitative Analysts1,916
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand1,827
- Information Security Analysts1,555
- General and Operations Managers1,424
- Sales Engineers1,342
- Marketing Managers1,327
- Statisticians1,282
- Mechatronics Engineers1,273
- Chefs and Head Cooks1,266
- General Internal Medicine Physicians1,260
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators1,182
- Food Preparation Workers1,179
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,135
- Operations Research Analysts1,130
- Computer Programmers1,104
- Logisticians1,092
- Nannies1,086
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks1,081
- Financial Managers1,079
- Database Administrators1,023
- Architectural and Engineering Managers939
- Industrial Production Managers931
- Computer Network Architects896
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education865
- Web and Digital Interface Designers849
- Construction Managers838
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive820
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse814
- Manicurists and Pedicurists792
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary784
- Materials Engineers779
How PERM works
Before most employment-based green card petitions (EB-2 and EB-3), the employer must test the U.S. labor market and get a labor certification from the Department of Labor: it obtains a prevailing wage determination, advertises the job and files Form ETA-9089. A certified PERM is valid for 180 days, during which the employer files Form I-140 with USCIS. "Certified, expired" means the 180 days have passed — the employer may already have used the certification for an I-140.
Salaries are the lower end of the wage offered on each application, converted to a yearly amount; statistics use certified full-time applications. PERM certification is one step toward a green card; USCIS decides the petition. Not legal advice. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC PERM Disclosure Data, fiscal years 2024–2026 (latest decision Jun 30, 2026).