Labor Certification

Labor certification — specifically PERM (Program Electronic Review Management) in the US immigration context — is the process through which an employer demonstrates to the Department of Labor that there are no qualified US workers available and willing to fill a position before sponsoring a foreign national for a permanent resident visa (green card). It requires the employer to conduct a documented, good-faith recruitment effort using specific prescribed methods, and to document that no qualified US worker was rejected. The PERM process is highly technical, with precise advertising requirements, mandatory documentation, and audit vulnerability if any procedural step is incomplete — making experienced immigration legal counsel rather than HR staff alone the appropriate process manager for PERM applications.