United States of America · skilled migration
EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers
Third-preference employment-based green card requiring employer sponsorship and PERM labor certification.
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Overview
EB-3 covers three sub-categories: skilled workers (2+ years training/experience), professionals (US bachelor’s or equivalent), and other workers (unskilled). Virtually all EB-3 cases require PERM labor certification demonstrating no qualified US worker is available, followed by an I-140 petition.
Processing time
PERM + I-140 + I-485 typically 18–36 months end-to-end, longer for backlogged countries.
See source window: 1.0 years – 3.3 years →Government fees
I-140 USD 715; I-485 USD 1,440; PERM filed electronically with DOL (no USCIS fee).
Typical duration
Permanent residence.
Primary source
USCIS — Employment-Based Immigration: Third Preference EB-3 · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Link last verified:
Eligibility
Typical criteria
Permanent, full-time job offer from a US employer.
Approved PERM labor certification from DOL (subject to recruitment and prevailing-wage steps).
Beneficiary meets minimum requirements of the certified role.
Common blockers
Unsuccessful PERM audit due to flawed recruitment steps.
Retrogression in the visa bulletin causing long waits for backlogged countries (particularly India and China).
Typical evidence
Certified ETA-9089 (PERM).
Evidence of employer ability to pay (tax returns, audited financials).
Education and experience letters matching PERM requirements.
Application pathway
Step 1
PERM recruitment and labor certification
Employer runs prescribed recruitment and files ETA-9089 with DOL.
Step 2
File I-140 immigrant petition
Filed by employer with USCIS once PERM is certified.
Step 3
Wait for priority date
Once visa bulletin is current, proceed to I-485 or consular processing.
Step 4
Adjust status or consular process
Obtain green card.
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Related routes
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Second-preference green card with a waiver of the job offer and PERM labor certification, where the beneficiary’s work is in the US national interest.
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Employer-sponsored non-immigrant visa for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the EB-3 green-card wait for Indian nationals?
Per-country limits create substantial backlogs in EB-3 for India and, to a lesser extent, China. Wait times are published monthly in the Department of State visa bulletin. Many Indian nationals also consider EB-2 and NIW strategies in parallel.
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