EB3 employment visa is for applicants who want to become US permanent residents based on employment or a job offer.  EB3 employment visas are for skilled workers, professionals and other qualified workers.

EB3 Skilled Workers

EB3 employment visa applicants must be able to demonstrate at least two years of job experience or training.  Applicants must be performing work for which qualified workers are not available in the US.  Labor certification and a permanent full-time job offer are required for EB3 employment visa applications.

EB3 Professionals

EB3 employment visa applicants in this category must be able to demonstrate that they possess a US bachelor degree or foreign degree equivalent and that a bachelor degree is the normal requirement for entry into the occupation.  EB3 employment visa applicants must be performing work for which qualified workers are not available in the US. Education and work experience may not be substituted for a bachelor degree.

EB3 Unskilled & Other Workers

EB3 employment visa applicants must be capable at the time the petition is filed on their behalf, of performing unskilled labor requiring less than two years training or experience that is not of a temporary or seasonal nature for which qualified workers are not available in the US.  Labor certification and a permanent full-time job offer are required.

The US State Department maintains an updated monthly list of the wait times for EB3 employment visa applications.  The monthly list of wait times is called the “Visa Bulletin” and can be found on the US State Department website.  The Visa Bulletin will show various dates under each employment visa category (Third Preference).  The date listed therein is the date in which the EB3 employment applications they are currently processing were filed.

Please note that once an applicant applies for an EB3 employment visa that they would not qualify for a tourist, business or student visa because such visas require an intent “not” to immigrate to the US.  By filing the EB3 employment visa application, an applicant is declaring they have an intent to immigrate to the US and such intent to immigrate makes them ineligible to receive a visitors visas such as tourist, business or student visas.

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US State Department - EB3 Employment Visa

Foreign Affairs Manual - EB3 Employment Visa

USCIS - EB3 Employment Visa