The Department of Labor (DOL) issued PERM statistics for the first 6 months of 2015 (October 01, 2014 to March 31, 2015), and it looks like filed PERM applications are on the rise and India continues to top the list of PERM applications certified so far this year!

Review of Applications Certified in 2015 so Far:

Not surprisingly, India was the top country of citizenship for those individuals who had PERM applications certified so far this year. The top 5 Countries of citizenship are as follows:

1. India: 60%
2. China: 8%
3. South Korea: 4%
4. Canada: 4%
5. Mexico: 2%

The H-1B was the top Visa Classification at a whopping 82% of the certified PERM applications. The top 5 are as follows:

1. H-1B: 82%
2. L-1: 7%
3. F-1: 3%
4. Blank: 3% (Section of the PERM application designated for visa classification was left blank)
5. TN: 1%

Again, not surprisingly, the top occupation listed for certified applications was Computer & Mathematical occupations at 60%. The top 5 are as follows:

1. Computer & Mathematical: 60%
2. Architecture & Engineering: 10%
3. Management: 8%
4. Business and Financial Operations: 6%
5. Education, training and library: 4%

The top industry for certified applications was in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services field at 48%. The top 5 industries are as follows:

1. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 48%
2. Manufacturing: 17%
3. Information: 8%
4. Finance and Insurance: 6%
5. Educational Services:6%

Certified and In-Process Cases: 

As of March 31, 2015, 36,373 cases have been certified and 61,574 applications are still pending. The processing status of active PERM applications is as follows:

1. Analyst Review: 59% of active PERM applications were under initial review
2. Audit Review: 31% of active PERM applications were under Audit Review
3. Appeal: 9% of active PERM applications were on appeal

As you can see, the DOL has been quite busy with PERM applications so far in 2015!  The DOL is getting the job done with about a 6 month turnaround for initial review once the application is filed, which is on par with the processing time for 2014.

Filed PERM Applications:

There has been an increase in the number of PERM applications filed in 2015. At the end of the second quarter of 2014, the DOL had received 33,152 PERM applications. At the end of the second quarter this year, the DOL has already received 42,189 PERM applications! When you look back to 2010, employers filed 43,984 applications for the ENTIRE year!  Here is a look at how the numbers play out since 2010:

2010: 43,984 PERM applications filed

2011: 67,383 PERM applications filed

2012: 69,738 PERM applications filed

2013: 72,462 PERM applications filed

2014: 74,936 PERM applications filed

2015: 42,189 PERM applications filed for the first 6 months

Based on these numbers, I am expecting the number of filed applications to continue to increase this year and in the coming years. As the economy continues to grow and business continues to boom, the need for talented high skilled and professional foreign workers will continue to increase.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy: Say Yes to PERM, Part Deux! and PERM Filing from Start to Finish: File in under 70 or 130 days?