What is the USA EB-3 Green Card?
The Employment-Based Third Preference (EB-3) leads directly to a Green Card (permanent residence). It is the broadest employer-sponsored Green Card, with three subcategories: Professionals (a US bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent), Skilled Workers (jobs needing 2+ years of training or experience), and Other Workers (unskilled roles needing less than 2 years).
Unlike the EB-1 or EB-2 NIW, the EB-3 always requires employer sponsorship, a permanent full-time job offer, and a completed PERM labour certification — there is no self-petition. The US issues roughly 40,000 EB-3 Green Cards a year, subject to a 7% per-country cap, which creates long queues for high-demand countries.
For much of our audience — particularly Filipino and Nigerian nurses — the EB-3 is the leading permanent route into the US healthcare system. Many workers first enter on a temporary visa like the H-1B while their employer sponsors an EB-3 in parallel.
Note: Information on this page is for guidance only and does not constitute immigration advice. Requirements change — verify current figures at the official government source before applying.
Do you qualify?
You must meet two requirements, and your employer must complete PERM labor certification. The subcategory depends on the role and your qualifications.
A permanent, full-time job offer from a US employer willing to sponsor you for a Green Card. The employer must obtain an approved PERM labour certification from the Department of Labour, proving through a defined recruitment process that no qualified, willing US worker is available at the prevailing wage. Temporary, seasonal or part-time roles do not qualify.
Professional: a US bachelor's degree (or foreign equivalent) the job requires. Skilled Worker: at least 2 years of job training or experience. Other Worker: capability to perform unskilled labour requiring less than 2 years' training. For nurses, an unrestricted license (or eligibility), passing the NCLEX-RN, and VisaScreen certification are typically part of qualifying.
The 2026 salary requirements
The EB-3 has no fixed salary figure. The employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the specific occupation and work location, as determined by the Department of Labour during PERM. The job is advertised at that wage, and the employer must pay at least that amount.
The employer bears the PERM cost — by law: regulations (20 CFR § 656.12) prohibit passing PERM recruitment, advertising and attorney costs on to the employee; if an employer asks you to pay PERM costs, that is a regulatory violation. Total EB-3 costs (employer-borne) typically run USD 13,500–45,000. Tax note: US federal income tax is progressive (10–37%) plus state tax (some states have none) and FICA.
What you need to apply
The EB-3 is a multi-stage employer-driven process: PERM labour certification, then the I-140 petition, then adjustment of status (if in the US) or consular processing (if abroad). The documents below are what you contribute across those stages.
If you do not have any of the documents below, read the FAQs section for further guidance.
Application timeline
The EB-3 is a multi-year, multi-stage process. For most countries, the total is roughly 2–4 years; for India, it exceeds a decade due to the priority-date backlog. The stages assume a permanent job offer is in place.
Most common delay: the priority-date queue. For most applicants, the bottleneck is not eligibility or the petition — it is waiting for a visa number. Country of birth (not citizenship) controls your queue: Indian-born applicants face the longest waits; Filipino nurses currently move faster, but the State Department has warned of possible retrogression.
The employer obtains a prevailing wage determination from the DOL (3–6 months), then runs the required recruitment campaign to test the U.S. labour market (about 2–3 months of advertising plus a mandatory waiting period).
Handled by: your employer
The employer files the ETA-9089. DOL analyst review averaged around 16 months as of early 2026, and longer if audited. When certified, your priority date is locked in (the date PERM was filed).
Handled by: your employer and the DOL
The employer files the I-140 with USCIS. Standard processing is 4–9 months; premium processing gives a decision in 15 business days.
Handled by: your employer and USCIS
You wait for your priority date to become 'current' in the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin. For most countries, this is short; for India, it is 10+ years; for the Philippines, it is more current but at risk of retrogression.
Handled by: the State Department
When your priority date is current, file Form I-485 (adjustment of status, if in the US) or complete consular processing (if abroad), including the medical exam and interview. Upon approval, you receive your Green Card.
Handled by: you and USCIS
Frequently asked questions
It is the main permanent route into the US for overseas-registered nurses. US healthcare faces chronic nursing shortages, and Filipino and Nigerian nurses make up a large share of EB-3 demand. Nursing is one of the few fields where employers routinely sponsor a Green Card directly, often through healthcare staffing agencies. Schedule A designation has historically streamlined nurse cases — confirm current Schedule A status, as it changes.
PERM is the mandatory first step for almost every EB-3 case. The employer obtains a prevailing wage determination, advertises the role to US workers through a defined recruitment process, and demonstrates to the DOL that no qualified, willing US worker is available at the prevailing wage. Only then can the I-140 be filed. PERM alone takes roughly 12–18 months, and the employer must pay for it — passing costs to the worker is illegal.
Your priority date is the day your employer filed PERM — your place in line. Because the US caps EB-3 Green Cards (about 40,000/year, with a 7% per-country limit), high-demand countries build queues. You cannot get your Green Card until your priority date becomes 'current' in the monthly Visa Bulletin. For most countries, this is quick; for India, it means a wait of over a decade. Country of birth controls, not citizenship.
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 are included as derivatives and receive Green Cards at the same time as you (subject to the same priority date), becoming permanent residents with full work and study rights. The whole immediate family gains permanent residence together — a major EB-3 advantage.
Total EB-3 costs typically run USD 13,500–45,000, including government and attorney fees. Critically, the employer must legally pay the PERM costs (recruitment, advertising, PERM attorney fees) and typically the I-140 fee — passing PERM costs to the worker violates DOL regulations. Some later-stage costs (I-485, medical, consular fees) may fall to the applicant depending on the arrangement.
They are fundamentally different. The H-1B is a temporary work visa awarded by lottery — most registrants are rejected. The EB-3 is a permanent residence route (Green Card) with no lottery, but it requires PERM and a priority-date wait. Many people use the H-1B to work in the US while their employer sponsors an EB-3 (or EB-2) in parallel. For nurses — not eligible for most H-1B roles — the EB-3 is often the primary route.
It depends on your timeline. The EB-3 priority date for India sits more than a decade behind as of 2026, so the wait is very long. For Indian nationals, the gap between EB-2 and EB-3 is often only 1–2 years, so EB-2 (if you qualify with an advanced degree) may be worth considering. Some applicants also 'port' between categories to recapture an earlier priority date. Take professional advice on the best category for your profile.
You cannot pursue the EB-3 without a permanent job offer from a US employer willing to sponsor you and complete PERM. Every job listed on Workbeyond is from employers who sponsor international talent to work in the United States. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that match your criteria.
Find sponsored jobs in United States
Every job listed on Workbeyond is from an employer who sponsors international workers. The EB-3 needs a permanent job offer and an employer willing to run PERM — for nurses and skilled professionals, that sponsoring role is the whole ballgame. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level.
Planning a move? See the United States destination guide.
Other visas you may qualify for
The H-1B is the US's main work visa for professionals in speciality occupations — roles that require at least a bachelor's degree. Unlike most work visas globally, it is subject to an annual cap of 85,000 and a lottery. Meeting all the requirements does not guarantee selection. The employer sponsors and pays for the entire process.
The US work visa for individuals at the very top of their field — science, business, tech, athletics or the arts. No annual cap and no lottery, unlike the H-1B. Meet 3 of 8 USCIS criteria (or hold a major award), and it leads naturally to the EB-1A Green Card.