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Prevailing wage processing times

Official FLAG prevailing wage determination context

The prevailing wage determination (PWD) is a separate DOL queue that comes before PERM. FLAG reports the receipt-date month the National Prevailing Wage Center is working through in each queue — it can set expectations, but it cannot predict an individual ETA-9141 request.

Source

FLAG

Fetched

Jul 18, 2026

Status

completed

Official FLAG pageDate retrieved: Jul 18, 2026PERM processing timesSearch LCA & PERM recordsSource status

FLAG prevailing wage processing-time section last verified against flag.dol.gov/processingtimes.

PWD vs PERM

Where the prevailing wage step sits — and why it is a separate wait

A prevailing wage determination runs at the National Prevailing Wage Center on Form ETA-9141, before recruitment and before the PERM (ETA-9089) is filed. FLAG reports it in its own section, so a full green-card timeline stacks the PWD queue ahead of the PERM analyst-review queue.

Two separate queues
Wage source: OEWS vs survey

OEWS-based requests follow the standard wage-library lookup, while non-OEWS requests tied to an employer-provided survey need extra review of the survey's methodology — which is why FLAG reports the two queues separately.

Program and visa type

A single prevailing wage request is filed on Form ETA-9141 for H-1B, H-2B, CW-1, or PERM. FLAG reports the receipt-date month per program, so the queue you read depends on the case the wage feeds.

Where it sits before PERM

A PWD is step one, before recruitment and before the ETA-9089 PERM filing. The PWD validity window has to still cover the recruitment and filing dates, so the PWD queue is a separate wait that comes ahead of the PERM analyst-review queue.

Redetermination and review add separate waits

If an employer disputes an issued wage, the redetermination and Center Director Review queues add their own receipt-date backlogs on top of the initial determination time.

How to read it

The FLAG prevailing wage queues, explained

FLAG splits prevailing wage timing into queues by wage source and review stage. Each reports the receipt-date month the National Prevailing Wage Center is currently processing.

Official FLAG queues
OEWS receipt-date queue

Requests where the prevailing wage is set from the DOL Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. FLAG lists the receipt-date month the National Prevailing Wage Center is currently working through for OEWS-based requests, by program (including H-1B and PERM).

Non-OEWS receipt-date queue

Requests that rely on an employer-provided or other approved wage survey instead of OEWS. FLAG reports a separate receipt-date month for this queue, which usually runs differently from the OEWS queue because survey review takes added analyst time.

Redeterminations

Where an employer asks the National Prevailing Wage Center to redetermine an issued wage. FLAG shows the receipt month of redetermination requests currently being worked for H-1B and PERM — a separate, typically slower track than an initial determination.

Center Director Review

The appeal stage after a redetermination, where the NPWC Center Director reviews the wage. FLAG lists the month of Center Director Review requests being processed, signalling the backlog at the final administrative-review step before BALCA.

Official FLAG queues

Prevailing wage receipt-date months by program

Parsed directly from the FLAG Prevailing Wage Determination Processing Times section: the receipt-date month being processed for each program by wage source (OEWS vs Non-OEWS), the redetermination and Center Director Review queues, and the published remaining-request backlog by month.

Structured FLAG data
FLAG prevailing wage determination receipt-date months by program and wage source, as of 6/30/2026
Processing queueOEWS receipt dateNon-OEWS receipt date
CW-1May 2026—
H-1BApril 2026March 2026
H-2BJune 2026May 2026
PERMApril 2026March 2026

Each cell is the receipt-date month the National Prevailing Wage Center reports it is working through for that program and wage source. A dash means FLAG lists no queue (for example, CW-1 has no Non-OEWS wage source). These are general queue positions, not a prediction for a specific ETA-9141 request.

Redeterminations
H-1B
April 2026
PERM
April 2026
Center Director Reviews
CW-1
February 2026
H-2B
February 2025
PERM
May 2026
CW-1 remaining requests
Receipt monthRemaining requests
March 202612
April 202628
May 202621
June 2026129
Total in queue190
H-1B remaining requests
Receipt monthRemaining requests
November 20251
December 20252
January 20260
February 202612
March 202621
April 2026273
May 2026260
June 2026311
Total in queue880
H-2B remaining requests
Receipt monthRemaining requests
April 20262
May 202644
June 20261,526
Total in queue1,572
PERM remaining requests
Receipt monthRemaining requests
December 202511
January 202663
February 2026106
March 2026627
April 202614,386
May 202618,310
June 202616,797
Total in queue50,300

Remaining-request counts are FLAG's published backlog by receipt month. Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded, so earlier months can fluctuate between updates.

FLAG PWD section dated 6/30/2026. Imported Jul 18, 2026 from flag.dol.gov/processingtimes. These are general queue positions, not case-specific predictions.

Extracted context

Latest imported prevailing-wage snippets

These snippets are pulled from the same FLAG snapshot so you can see what public prevailing-wage context the page is relying on.

From the FLAG snapshot

permanent case numbers, link prevailing wage and job order cases to new temporary labor applications, etc

PERM Prevailing Wages Wage Data Wage Data OFLC Wage Search OFLC Wage Data Downloads H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) H-2A Labor Supply State Determinations H-

Prevailing Wage Determination Processing Times (as of 6/30/2026) Processing Queue OEWS Receipt Date i Non-OEWS Receipt Date i CW-1 May 2026 -- H-1B April 2026 March 2026 H-2B

prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed

processing times indicate the average processing time for all prevailing wage applications received in a specific month

prevailing wage determination for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed

Keep researching

Move from timing context into the filing data

These views keep the official-source trail close to the prevailing-wage, PERM, and LCA records the timing context applies to.

Official DOL data
PERM processing timesThe next queue after the prevailing wage step — DOL FLAG Analyst Review and Audit Review timing context for the ETA-9089.Search LCA and PERM recordsLook up an employer's H-1B LCA and PERM disclosure filings, including the prevailing-wage fields on each record.Source statusCheck when the FLAG processing-time snapshot was last fetched, with row counts and job status.

LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.

FAQ

Common questions

How long does a prevailing wage determination take?

DOL does not publish a single prevailing wage processing time. The FLAG processing-times page reports the receipt-date month the National Prevailing Wage Center is currently working through in each queue — OEWS and non-OEWS — plus the months of redetermination and Center Director Review requests being processed. Those are backward-looking queue positions across many requests, so read them as general context rather than a date for any one ETA-9141.

What is the difference between prevailing wage and PERM processing times?

They are two separate DOL queues. The prevailing wage determination (PWD) runs at the National Prevailing Wage Center and comes first — it sets the minimum wage the role must offer. PERM (the ETA-9089 labor certification) is filed afterward and runs in its own Analyst Review and Audit Review queues. FLAG reports each separately, so a 'PW - PERM processing time' is really two waits in sequence: the PWD queue, then the PERM queue.

What is the difference between the OEWS and non-OEWS prevailing wage queues?

OEWS requests set the wage from the DOL Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Non-OEWS requests use an employer-provided or other approved wage survey, which needs added analyst review of the survey itself. FLAG lists a separate receipt-date month for each queue because they typically move at different speeds.

Where can I track prevailing wage determination processing times?

The authoritative source is the public DOL FLAG processing-times page at flag.dol.gov/processingtimes, in its 'Prevailing Wage Determination Processing Times' section. VisaSignal imports that snapshot and shows when it was fetched so you can judge how current it is, instead of relying on crowd-sourced trackers.

What affects how long a prevailing wage determination takes?

Mainly the wage source (OEWS versus an employer-provided survey), the program the wage feeds (H-1B, H-2B, CW-1, or PERM), and whether the request becomes a redetermination or Center Director Review. Each of those is a separate FLAG queue with its own receipt-date backlog.

Is the prevailing wage processing time a prediction for my case?

No. FLAG prevailing wage processing times are official general context showing queue position by receipt month. They should not be read as a prediction for a specific ETA-9141 request.

Does an LCA certification mean an H-1B petition was approved?

No. A DOL-certified LCA is not the same as USCIS H-1B petition approval. It is an official labor-condition filing signal that should be interpreted with that limit.

Does a PERM certification mean a green card was approved?

No. PERM certification is one step in an employment-based green card process. It does not mean a green card, I-140 petition, or adjustment of status was approved.

Can this data prove an employer will sponsor a candidate?

No. Official filing history can show recent activity, roles, worksites, and wage signals, but it does not guarantee future sponsorship or predict legal outcomes.