PERM Backlog Reduction Act of 2026

This legislation, known as the "PERM Backlog Reduction Act of 2026," mandates the Secretary of Labor to establish an optional expedited processing program for Form ETA-9089, which is required for permanent labor certifications. Employers seeking to employ immigrants can opt into this program by paying a fee of $1,200 , which will be adjusted annually for inflation starting in fiscal year 2028. The Secretary is required to process these expedited forms within 30 calendar days , or within 15 days if an employer requests information on an unprocessed form. All fees collected from this program will be deposited into a dedicated "DOL PERM Premium Processing Fee Account" and used exclusively to administer the program . This includes funding for staffing, training, case adjudication, system upgrades, and fraud detection. A key provision ensures that the implementation of this expedited service will not adversely affect the processing times for standard, non-expedited permanent labor certification applications. The Secretary is also granted exemptions from certain administrative procedures to facilitate the program's swift implementation.