Labor Shortage Verification PERM Labor Certification A Labor Shortage Verification (in the U.S., a PERM labor certification) is a process where employers demonstrate that there are no qualified destination-country (e.g., U.S.) workers available to fill a specific job position and that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively impact the destination country's job market. In the United States, It's a crucial step in the employment-based immigration process, often required for certain employment-based green card applications (EB-2 and EB-3 categories). Employers must go through a series of recruitment efforts and file a Form ETA-9089 with the U.S. Department of Labor to obtain PERM labor certification before proceeding with the green card application for the foreign worker