10 Essential Facts About EB-3 Visas for Recent Immigrants

Introduction

Immigration to the US can often be a lengthy and confusing process, especially for professionals, skilled workers, and unskilled laborers looking to make a new life for themselves in America. The EB-3 visa offers hope to those attempting to secure a visa to enter the US, and we have put together this article to provide key insights into the EB-3 visa process. The aim of this article is to provide readers with the confidence and knowledge required to progress through the process to achieve their goals. There are 10 essential insights into the EB-3 visa process that immigrants need to know in order to succeed with their immigration to the US.

Understand the EB-3 Visa Basics

It seems that opportunities for immigration to the U.S. have decreased greatly, the wait time for current petitions have increased drastically, and the number of spots for immigrants and their families have decreased. Therefore, many skilled workers and their families from around the world are turning to the EB3 visas in order to make their move to the U.S. permanently. These skilled workers and their families can apply for permanent residency through the EB3 category, which includes three classes of workers:

1. Professionals (EB-3A)
2. Skilled workers (EB-3B)
3. Unskilled laborers (EB-3C)

Looking ahead to July 2026, instead of sticking to EB3 of India, one may consider alternatives to obtain residency in the U.S. as early as possible. For now, the Philippines is the largest source of employment-based permits with 9,179 such permits having been granted to skilled laborers and professionals in FY 2024.

The third of the employment-based categories of green cards has an annual ceiling of approximately 40,000 and comprises 28.6% of all global employment-based visas. In the fiscal year 2024, a total of 48,550 green cards were granted in this category of employment-based visas. On average, it takes the labor certification process 336 days to process as of August 26, 2016.

Most of the people are aware that EB-3 dates are currently ahead of the EB-2 dates. We can assist you in determining whether EB-3 or EB-2 category would be the best fit for your situation. Our Immigration Specialist Sreelatha Babu offers consultation services to assist with green card applications and can assist you in choosing the best possible route for your situation.

Know the Eligibility Requirements for EB-3 Visas

Here are the requirements for EB-3 visas for professionals who hold a U.S. equivalent bachelor’s degree in their field. For skilled workers, there is a requirement of at least 2 years of prior training and/or experience in their field. For unskilled workers, there are certain jobs that require less than 2 years of prior training and thus such individuals can qualify for EB-3 visas to work in such positions.

In order to qualify for employment-based immigration, candidates must have a permanent job with a U.S. employer who sponsors their permanent residency by going through the labor certification process to show that there are no qualified U.S. workers for the position for which they have been offered employment and that the employer is unable to fill the vacancy with a qualified U.S. worker. There are several stages of processing employment-based third preference (EB-3) applications, including the time for processing a candidate’s Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) application and the processing time for approval of the employer’s Form I-140 petition.

Public announcements by the U.S. Department of State have included the following information as of September 2026:

• Rescission of public charge rule as it applies to individuals seeking EB-3 immigration.
• Scheduling of immigrant visa appointments worldwide has been temporarily suspended for training purposes.

We can provide more information and explain in greater detail. We can also assist with immigration to the U.S. to achieve your professional goals.

Recognize the Role of Employer Sponsorship and Labor Certification

I can help you go through the process to get an EB3 visa and help negotiate with your employer to get them to sponsor you for a visa. In order to sponsor a worker for a visa, a U.S. employer must first attempt to fill the vacancy with qualified U.S. workers and then pay the foreign worker fair market value for the work that he or she will be doing. After the employer’s Labor Certification application has been approved by the Department of Labor, the employer can then file the employer’s Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, on the employee’s behalf.

In an attempt to keep up with a growing amount of listings for medical roles from regions with high concentrations of medical staff such as New York, California, and Illinois, an increasing number of employers are now offering green card sponsorship to their employees.

We monitor various cases, provide alternative ways to the traditional PERM process (such as EB-1A cases and EB-2 National Interest Waiver cases), and share best practices on how companies can implement and manage their ongoing green card sponsorship policy for their employees. This includes the early filing of I-140s and proactive communication with employees regarding processing delays.

We track current processing times for employer-sponsored green cards, which have reached an all-time high of approximately 3.4 years since mid-2025, and detail the recent updates in this fast-changing area of law to facilitate both employer and employee processing through means such as premium processing, which can reduce the processing time for an I-140 petition to 2.8 years (with recognition that additional steps may cause further delays).

Follow the Step-by-Step Application Process for EB-3 Visas

The EB3 immigration process can be quite complex. We recommend first that your employer obtain a labor certification with the Department of Labor (DOL). Once approved by the DOL, your employer can then file a Form I-140 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to see if you qualify for a green card. Once the I-140 has been approved by the USCIS, you or your family members can then apply for an immigrant green card either through consular processing abroad or through adjustment of status if you are currently in the U.S. Once approved for a green card, you and your family members can then return to the U.S. as a permanent resident.

As we get closer to 2026, all of the employment-based categories, including EB3 visas, continue to be a very important way for many individuals to immigrate to the United States. Last year, over 50% of all permits issued in the employment-based category were to individuals from the Philippines, mostly seeking to work in healthcare positions and have their EB3 Visa approved to come to the U.S. as a permanent resident.

It’s wise for employers of potential employees to conduct a case-by-case evaluation to assess the eligibility of qualified dependents of employees seeking EB3 visa applications. Collaborating with an experienced immigration lawyer can be highly beneficial for employers of foreign national employees. Vasquez Law Firm is committed to guiding our clients through the confusing and often Byzantine process of trying to secure and then obtain immigrant status and a green card. We offer free initial consultations and provide bilingual legal services in English and Spanish. Vasquez Law Firm has flexible payment plans in place to attempt to accommodate the financial circumstances of our clients.

Be Aware of EB-3 Visa Processing Times

Employment-based visas have numerous requirements to be granted to individuals seeking to live and work in the U.S. permanently. There are many factors involved with processing employment-based visas for individuals seeking permanent resident status, including the country of residence of the employer (petitioner) and current USCIS workload. For example, employment-based visas for individuals of Indian national origin are experiencing an unprecedented backlog, with current priority dates for individuals seeking green card status going back to November 2013 in some cases, potentially taking the rest of the individual’s lifetime to process for a green card.

Other Workers in the third employment-based category (EB3) typically can process in about 4 years or so from the start of the PERM process for approval of their EB3 visas. Then there is:

1. Labor certification which can take 10-14 months to process.
2. Approval of the I-140 petition which can take 3-6 months.
3. Consular processing or Green Card processing which can take 6-9 months.

Many EB3 visas are experiencing an unprecedented backlog with over 180,000 pending I-140s as of the end of FY2025. For this reason, it is critical that Other Workers file as early as possible in their careers and also keep good relations with their current employers as problems can arise in these situations.

Check the USCIS website frequently for updates on processing times and any unforeseen delays. Also, it is prudent to check the monthly Visa Bulletin for updates on priority dates. Experienced immigration lawyers can assist their clients throughout the EB3 visas process and keep them informed throughout the process to help them reach their goals and advance their future.

Identify Common Issues and Pitfalls in the EB-3 Process

Imagine the process of applying for a visa. It could be a very arduous process of hundreds of pages of applications and thousands of requirements, which could easily cause significant delays for simply minor errors. However, one of the largest obstacles to approval of a visa application is the retrogression of immigration. This issue significantly affects the processing time of applications of applicants from countries such as India and China with huge backlogs of pending cases.

At Vasquez Law Firm, we deal with the applications of all nationalities and will be happy to assist you to achieve your goal. We offer a free initial consultation and would welcome your contact. It is also very important to keep your employer and your legal advisor up to date as there are many pitfalls for applicants to avoid throughout the process.

We can also speak in bilingual where necessary as we do not believe that anyone should be denied access to justice due to language. We are here to assist you in conquering these challenges to move on with your life.

Compare EB-3 Visas with Other Employment-Based Categories

Immigration through employment provides many opportunities for skilled professionals to start their careers in the U.S. The long wait and many requirements for employment-based immigration often present many difficulties and frustrations for those attempting to proceed through the process. One of the biggest challenges to immigration through employment is the delay in processing EB3 visas due to extreme demand for visas. For example, in the FY2024 visa year, only 511 employment-based immigration permits were granted to individuals from India. Therefore, tracking of visa numbers and forward movement of visa dates for applications filed from abroad for use by Indian nationals applying for EB3 visas can help in processing the employment-based immigration process efficiently as well as in choosing the correct category to apply under based on specific circumstances.

Understand Priority Dates and Backlogs for EB-3 Visas

Many individuals have to wait years to get the chance to move to the US to live and work and then years more to process their application for a permanent resident (green card) status. For employment-based visa applications, the date when such an application is put into the front of the line for processing of visa applications (the “priority date” of the application) is the date when the application for labor certification was received by the U.S. Department of Labor. Because there are so many applications for visas to live and work in the US and there are only so many visas that can be granted each year, it is typically the applications from the most populous countries, such as India and China, that are at the back of these long lines.

To check the status of your application and find out when your priority date will become current, refer to the relevant final action date for the employment-based preference category for which your petition was filed. For example, for Indians, the final action date for the employment-based third preference category is December 15, 2013, meaning that applications with prior dates will now be processed. The backlog for employment-based categories, especially the eb3 visas, has increased by more than 20% from the 2020 numbers, and is expected to continue to grow to over 2 million cases in 15 years from now, unless Congress addresses this issue with legislation.

However, for now the status quo remains for these skilled workers. Although a Senate measure from 2022 to remove highly skilled workers from the Green Card limits failed to become law when it was killed by Senator Charles Grassley, more skilled workers are needed, especially in the healthcare space. As time passes, the present system becomes less and less workable for would-be immigrants.

Explore the Benefits of the EB-3 Visa

When searching for a way for your family to join you in the United States for stability and opportunities, it can be a complicated process for many immigrants. But there are many resources available for assistance to help reach their immigration goals. As an immigrant searching for employment in the United States in search of stability and opportunities for your family, you may want to look into the EB3 visas category. In the past year alone, thousands of individuals found hope in this category as they were granted 48,550 green cards. Some of these individuals were already residing in the U.S. and others were newly immigrating to the country. Many of these individuals are skilled workers or even professionals.

Note that as an individual with employment-based third preference status, you can also bring your spouses and children under 21 years of age and apply for their adjustment of status to obtain permanent residency in the U.S. later.

To become a U.S. citizen, an individual would typically need to reside within the U.S. for a specified amount of time (typically 3 years for most EB3 applicants). The process of obtaining visas through the Employment-based category of visas is often referred to as EB3 visas. In many instances, individuals looking for immigration through employment will find that they do not qualify for the higher preference classifications (i.e. EB-1 or EB-2), thus making EB3 their best option for visas. We can map out a realistic time frame for our clients’ future within 3-5 years, plus time for the PERM labor certification process (which typically takes 6-12 months to complete) prior to the I-140 petition being submitted.

While hundreds of thousands of approved employment-based petitions are pending, approved-and-waiting is not currently being issued in preference to current petitions. The largest source of consular permits for employment-based visas in FY 2024 for nationals seeking to work in the US in healthcare related positions were for the Philippines, with 9,179 such permits granted. As in prior years, there continues to be great demand in the US labor market for skilled workers.

In summary, Employment-based immigration to the United States serves to fill jobs which Americans refuse to do and in the process of bringing highly skilled foreign workers to the United States to fill those jobs it improves the quality of life of that foreign worker and his/her immediate family members.

Consult Vasquez Law Firm for Expert Immigration Guidance

The process to get EB3 visas can be very stressful and confusing, but Vasquez Law Firm is here to help you. Many immigrants are seeking legal consultations for EB3 visas due to increasing complexity in the laws. At Vasquez Law Firm, we are bilingual and here to serve and inform our clients of all their rights and options during their immigration process.

With over 30 years of experience in immigration law, Vasquez Law Firm knows how to fight for our clients' rights and future. Look at the success stories of our previous clients who were in similar situations and needed help with their own immigration cases.

Don’t have to go through it by yourself; we will fight for you.

Conclusion

The process to get approved for an EB-3 visa and to get Green Cards for your family members can be very stressful and confusing for many families. The EB-3 category includes professionals, skilled workers, and other unskilled workers. In order to determine if you are eligible for an EB-3 visa, you must know the requirements for eligibility and the process of employer sponsorship for labor certification.

It is critical for immigrant workers and their immediate family members to have a thorough understanding of labor certification and employer sponsorship in order to become permanent residents. Current processing times and unprecedented backlogs at all U.S. Department of Labor offices and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices around the country make it important to track priority dates for current applicants, most notably those from countries such as the Philippines.

There is more to the EB-3 Visa than a job in the U.S. offering immigration to you and your loved ones to live in the U.S. as a permanent resident. The immigration laws are constantly changing. Experienced and knowledgeable immigration lawyers like those at Vasquez Law Firm are here to guide you through the process to become a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. Our attorneys are bilingual. We can create a roadmap to achieve your goals. We also have flexible payment plans to make our services more affordable to pay for by all individuals and families in need of assistance with their case.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EB-3 visa?

The EB-3 visa is an employment-based immigration category that allows skilled workers and their families to apply for permanent residency in the U.S. It includes three classes of workers: Professionals (EB-3A), Skilled workers (EB-3B), and Unskilled laborers (EB-3C).

What are the eligibility requirements for the EB-3 visa?

To qualify for the EB-3 visa, professionals must hold a U.S. equivalent bachelor’s degree, skilled workers need at least 2 years of prior training or experience, and unskilled workers can qualify for positions that require less than 2 years of training.

What is the role of employer sponsorship in the EB-3 visa process?

A U.S. employer must sponsor the worker by attempting to fill the position with qualified U.S. workers and paying the foreign worker fair market value. The employer must also go through the labor certification process to demonstrate the need for hiring a foreign worker.

How long does the EB-3 visa application process take?

The labor certification process for the EB-3 visa can take an average of 336 days, and current processing times for employer-sponsored green cards have reached approximately 3.4 years.

What is the labor certification process?

The labor certification process involves the employer demonstrating that there are no qualified U.S. workers available for the position being offered to the foreign worker. Once approved, the employer can file Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.

Are there any recent updates regarding the EB-3 visa?

Recent updates include the rescission of the public charge rule for EB-3 immigration and a temporary suspension of immigrant visa appointments worldwide for training purposes.

How can I get assistance with the EB-3 visa application?

You can seek assistance from immigration specialists who can help determine the best visa category for your situation, guide you through the application process, and negotiate with employers for sponsorship.

List of Sources

1. Understand the EB-3 Visa Basics
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   • Employment-Based Immigration Backlog Exceeds 1.2 Million People (https://forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2026/09/01/employment-based-immigration-backlog-exceeds-12-million-people)
   • Chugh, LLP - Attorneys & CPAs (https://chugh.com/news/august-2026-visa-bulletin-released-key-changes-for-employment-based-visa-updates-employers-and-applicants-need-to-know)
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2. Know the Eligibility Requirements for EB-3 Visas
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3. Recognize the Role of Employer Sponsorship and Labor Certification
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4. Follow the Step-by-Step Application Process for EB-3 Visas
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5. Be Aware of EB-3 Visa Processing Times
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   • May 2026 Visa Bulletin – State Department Hits the Brakes and USCIS Stops Accepting Dates for Filing (https://hunton.com/business-immigration-insights/may-2026-visa-bulletin-state-department-hits-the-brakes-and-uscis-stops-accepting-dates-for-filing)
6. Identify Common Issues and Pitfalls in the EB-3 Process
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7. Compare EB-3 Visas with Other Employment-Based Categories
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8. Understand Priority Dates and Backlogs for EB-3 Visas
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   • Employment-Based Immigration Backlog Exceeds 1.2 Million People (https://forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2026/09/01/employment-based-immigration-backlog-exceeds-12-million-people)
   • USCIS Requires Final Action Dates for Employment-Based Filings in June 2026 (https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/uscis-requires-final-action-dates-for-employment-based-filings-in-june-2026)
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9. Explore the Benefits of the EB-3 Visa
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10. Consult Vasquez Law Firm for Expert Immigration Guidance

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