Archive · 24 Aug 2026
New bill seeks 30-day premium processing for PERM backlog
PERM is a government process that many employers use before helping a worker apply for a green card.
The process currently takes about a year, according to the article.
A new bill would let participating employers pay extra for faster processing.
The proposed fee would be $1,200.
The Department of Labor would aim to process the main PERM form within 30 days.
The money would also help improve the system and reduce other delays.
Employers would still need to show that they could not find a suitable American worker for the job.
The bill has not become law and may change or fail as it moves through Congress.
Congressmen Glenn Grothman and Lou Correa introduced the bipartisan PERM Backlog Reduction Act.
The bill would create optional 30-day premium processing for Form ETA-9089 labor certifications.
Employers would pay a $1,200 fee, adjusted annually for inflation beginning in fiscal year 2028.
The fees would fund PERM modernization and help reduce delays in prevailing-wage determinations without taxpayer money.
The proposal remains a bill and must pass through committees and secure votes before taking effect.
- Who
- Congressmen Glenn Grothman and Lou Correa introduced the PERM Backlog Reduction Act; it would affect employers and foreign workers pursuing employment-based immigration.
- What
- A bill proposing optional premium processing of Form ETA-9089 within 30 days for a $1,200 fee.
- When
- The bill was introduced before the article's reference date of August 7, 2026; the fee would begin annual inflation adjustments in fiscal year 2028.
- Where
- The proposal concerns the U.S. Department of Labor's PERM system and employment-based immigration to the United States.
- Why
- It aims to reduce PERM processing delays, modernize the system, and provide employers with a self-funded faster-processing option.
- Current PERM wait
- The article says the Department of Labor was processing applications filed in September 2025 as of August 7, 2026, with an average wait of approximately 372 days.
- Proposed processing time
- Form ETA-9089 would be processed within 30 days under the premium program.
- Proposed fee
- $1,200 for expedited Form ETA-9089 processing.
- Fee adjustments
- The fee would be adjusted annually for inflation beginning in fiscal year 2028.
- Additional funding
- Collected fees would support PERM modernization and efforts to reduce delays for Form ETA-9141 prevailing-wage determinations.
- Green card relevance
- PERM is typically an early step for many employment-based green cards, including EB-2 and EB-3 cases.
- Legislative status
- The proposal is not law and must move through committees and receive votes before it can take effect.
- Source wording discrepancy
- The article identifies Grothman and Correa as congressmen but later refers to the bill's supporters as senators.