EB3 Visa Overview
The EB3 visa is a powerful option for professionals, skilled workers, and unskilled workers hoping to get permanent residency in the United States. Through the EB3 visa, a U.S. company can sponsor a foreign worker for a green card through a full-time job offer.
To sponsor a foreign worker, the U.S. company must try to first hire a qualified U.S. worker. Only after the U.S. company has attempted and failed to recruit a qualified U.S. worker, can they sponsor a foreign worker. To learn more about the EB3 visa process, you may see our employer sponsored green card post here.
Of the total green cards available for foreign workers, 28.6% are allocated towards the EB3 visa. Therefore, approximately 40,000 EB3 visas are available per year. Additionally, no more than 7% of the total EB3 visas can go to nationals of any one country.
EB3 Visa Process
There are 4 main parts to the EB3 visa process:
Step 1: PERM Labor Certification
Step 2: I-140 Petition
Step 3: Wait for Priority Date
Step 4: Consular Processing or Adjustment of Status
I will explain each of these steps and the processing time of each step below. If you have any questions, my team and I would be happy to help you.
PROCESSING TIME
Step 1: PERM Labor Certification (About 10 Month Total Processing Time)
The first step in the EB3 visa process is for the U.S. employer to get an approved PERM labor certification. As I mentioned above, before a U.S. employer may sponsor a foreign worker, they must attempt to hire a qualified U.S. worker. It is only after they try and fail to hire a U.S. worker, that the U.S. employer can sponsor a foreign worker for a green card. Once the U.S. employer successfully goes through the PERM process, they receive a labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. Getting an approved labor certification is required for the employer to sponsor a foreign worker under the EB3 visa. This process usually takes about 10 months.
Step 2: Form I-140 Immigrant Petition (6 to 9 Month Standard Processing Time, 15 Day Premium Processing Available)
Once the PERM labor certification is approved by the Department of Labor, the next step is for the employer to submit a Form I-140 to USCIS. The Form I-140 is the immigrant petition and it is filed by the U.S. employer on behalf of the foreign worker. Once the form I-140 is filed, it usually takes 6-69 months to get a response from USCIS. The US employer can also elect to pay an additional $1,440 for premium processing, to receive a response in 15 days. If USCIS has any concerns about the petition, they may render a Request for Evidence (RFE). This can also slow down the processing time.
Step 3: Wait for Your Priority Date to Become Current (0 to 10+ Years)
When you submit your Form I-140 immigrant petition you will also receive a priority date. Your priority date will tell you when you can schedule your immigrant visa interview or apply for adjustment of status (next step). For some countries, there is no wait time and you can schedule a visa interview immediately.
Step 4: Consular Processing or Adjustment of Status (About 9 Months)
Once the Form I-140 is approved and your priority date is current, the next step is to apply for the foreign worker to apply for an immigrant visa or apply for an adjustment of status.