Office of Foreign Labor Certification

Permanent Labor Certification Program – Selected Statistics

Distribution of Active PERM Cases 28,000 cases (as of 3/23/08)

Major Program Highlights

Published Federal Register notice extending public comment period on H-2A NPRM through Apr. 14, 2008. Published Federal Register notice announcing specialization of NPCs effective June 1, 2008 Chicago NPC: Temporary Programs Atlanta NPC: PERM Program Re-Engineered ETA Form 9089 Federal Register notice announcing final 30 days of public comment OFLC will accept current ETA Form 9089 for processing through Dec. 31, 2008 Planning implementation for Jan. 1, 2009 Developing re-engineered Labor Condition Application (LCA) Form 9035 and anticipate release of notice for public comment in May 2008

Highlights of Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 PERM Certifications

October 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007

• Approximately 12,600 cases were certified during the first quarter of FY 2008; 66% of foreign workers on H-1B visas. The top 5 states of intended employment for these permanent labor certifications were California (3,135), New York (1,293), New Jersey (1,057), Texas (901), and Florida (774);
• Alien beneficiaries representing 135 different countries were certified for permanent employment in the U.S. The top 10 countries of citizenship of alien beneficiaries included India (4,074), China (993), South Korea (875), Philippines (804), Mexico (690), Canada (669), United Kingdom (267), Taiwan (234), Brazil (233), and Pakistan(227); and
• Top job titles certified for permanent employment included Computer Software Engineers (2,147), Computer Systems Analysts (734), Computer and Information System Managers (470), Electronics Engineers (266), Computer Programmers (251), Market Research Analysts (238), Mechanical Engineers (185), Financial Analysts (182), Accountants (178), and Engineering Managers (175).

PERM Certifications by Top 10 U.S. States (Place of Intended Employment)
FY 2008 Workers Certified = 12,600