EB-3 Green Card Categories

EB-3 Green Card Categories

EB-3 or third-preference employment-based green cards are reserved for skilled workers, general professionals, and unskilled workers. A job offer, sponsoring employer, and completion of the labor certification process are required for all three. The employer’s petition must prove that the worker has at least two years of job experience, training, or education that matches the requirements indicated on the labor certification.

In the professionals category, the employee must have at least a U.S. baccalaureate degree or foreign equivalent, and the petition must show that such degree is the normal requirement for the job.

The unskilled worker category serves as a catchall for positions that don’t match any other categories. However, the employee must be capable of performing the proposed job, and the position must not be temporary or seasonal.

Because the required qualifications for EB-3 green cards are less than for the EB-1 and EB-2, applicants should expect much greater demand for them, and thus longer wait times.