A foreign national can get permanent residency based on employment if certain conditions are met. In some circumstances, a foreign national may self-petition (without a sponsoring employer) based on the work he or she will do in the U.S. Most often, however, employment-based immigrant visas require a U.S. employer who is willing to complete and submit a PERM labor certification application with the Department of Labor and file a visa petition on behalf of the foreign worker. Depending on the background and country of birth of the foreign national, among other factors, the visa may be subject to backlogs and long waits.