EB-3 Green Card – U.S. Permanent Residency for Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Other Workers
The EB-3 Green Card falls under the third preference employment-based immigration category and is intended for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers seeking permanent residency in the United States. This category requires a job offer from a U.S. employer and an approved PERM Labor Certification to demonstrate that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position.
To qualify as a skilled worker, the applicant must be employed in a role that requires at least two years of training or experience. The job must not be temporary or seasonal, and relevant post-secondary education may be accepted as part of the required training.
Professionals are individuals whose employment requires at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent and who are members of the profession related to the job offered. The degree must be a standard requirement for entry into the occupation.
The “other workers” category is for individuals performing unskilled labor that requires less than two years of training or experience, provided the job is also permanent and not seasonal in nature.
EB-3 petitions must typically include a certified labor certification (Form ETA-9089) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. This certification confirms that the employer was unable to find qualified U.S. workers for the position and is offering prevailing wages.
EB-3 green cards provide permanent resident status, allowing recipients to live and work in the United States indefinitely as long as residency requirements are met and immigration laws are followed.
Once the I-140 petition is approved, the applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 may also qualify for green cards. Dependents of skilled workers or professionals apply under the E34 (spouse) and E35 (child) categories, while dependents of other workers apply under the EW4 (spouse) and EW5 (child) categories.
The EB-3 category offers a practical path to U.S. permanent residency for individuals with job offers in a wide range of industries and experience levels.