There are several types of visas that allow you to come to the United States and work. Employment-based visas will give you the opportunity to live and work in the U.S. Your education, skills, and experience are some of the things used to determine who is eligible for an employment-based visa. One “EB” visa many people qualify for is an EB-3 visa.
The EB-3 Visa is an employment-based visa that will give you a green card, therefore, the ability to live and work in the United States permanently. There are three distinct EB-3 categories, all of them needing to go through the labor certification process, and a permanent, full-time job offer is required. The three categories are:
EB-3 Skilled Worker - You must prove you have at least two years of job experience or training and perform work for which qualified workers are not available in the U.S.
EB-3 Professional - You must prove that you have a U.S. bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree in the field of work and must perform work for which qualified workers are not available in the U.S.
EB-3 Unskilled Worker - You must prove capable of performing unskilled labor that is not temporary (or seasonal), for which qualified workers are not available in the U.S.
As indicated, you will need a full-time job offer, and your employer will have to get a PERM/Labor Certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. After being approved on this first step, which typically takes around one year, the employers must file Form I-140 with the USCIS, which takes, on average, six months.
Finally, when the USCIS approves the I-140, you, the foreign national, can file for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status and get your green card, which will take another six months, totaling an average of two years for the completion of an EB-3 process.
If you have any questions, please schedule a consultation with one of our expert attorneys, and we will be happy to assist you.