What is the EB-3 Green Card Category?

Some of our clients sometimes think that they have to have a degree (either Bachelor’s or Master’s) to qualify for a green card sponsorship. This is not true, as the Eb-3 green card category specifically allows sponsorship of workers that only have work experience.

The following 3 categories of foreign workers can qualify for an Eb-3 green card:

1. Professionals: these are foreign nationals who hold at least a US Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent of the US Bachelor’s degree) and are members of their profession & the U.S. PERM job requires a Bachelor’s degree.
2. Skilled workers: these are people whose job requires at least 2 years of training or experience & the U.S. PERM job requires at least 2 years of experience.
3. Other workers: these are people who will perform unskilled labor, meaning that their job does not require an education, or requires less than 2 years of training or experience.

You will need to find an employer in the U.S. that is willing to sponsor you for the Eb-3 green card (this means that self-sponsorship or filing petition on your own behalf is not possible under the Eb-3 category).

The employer will first have to file a Prevailing wage determination with the National Prevailing Wage Center, then conduct a recruitment process , and then file a Labor Certification with the Department of Labor. Once the Labor Certification has been approved, the employer can file an I-140 petition with USCIS. You can then apply for a green card from within the U.S. (this is called Adjustment of Status), or you can apply for an immigrant visa at a Consulate. You can read our blog post on When should the I-140 and green card petitions be filed when you click here.