{"id":24217,"date":"2025-06-29T09:34:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T06:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/blog\/us-eb3-visa\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T05:09:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T01:39:13","slug":"us-eb3-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/us-eb3-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"The US EB-3 Visa: Work and Permanent Residence Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The United States remains one of the world&#8217;s most popular destinations, with work for skilled, professional, semi-skilled and unskilled labour alike. One of the main employment routes into the country, and on to permanent residence, is the <strong>US EB-3 visa<\/strong>. It is built for people who have a genuine, permanent job offer and want to <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/immigration-to-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">move to the United States<\/a>, and who can evidence their work history and qualifications.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a legitimate route to <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/us-work-visa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">work-based immigration<\/a>, you need a clear picture of the EB-3 visa: who qualifies, which documents are required, what it costs and the legal points that matter. This guide covers all of it in plain terms.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the <b>US<\/b> <b>EB-3<\/b> <b>visa<\/b>?<\/h2>\n<p>The EB-3 is one of the United States&#8217; employment-based immigrant visa categories, and it allows workers and skilled staff to live and work in the country lawfully. Applications are filed under one of three subcategories, and the qualifying criteria differ between them. An EB-3 applicant will normally have one of the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At least 2 years of relevant work experience or training<\/li>\n<li>A bachelor&#8217;s degree, or a foreign equivalent, or higher<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Which of the two applies depends on the subcategory the petition is filed under.<\/p>\n<div class=\"test\">Workers doing unskilled work with less than two years of experience or training can also apply for an EB-3 visa, under the Other Workers subcategory.<\/div>\n<h2>Who can apply for the <b>US<\/b> <b>EB-3<\/b> work <b>visa<\/b>?<\/h2>\n<p>Three groups of workers:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Skilled Workers<\/li>\n<li>Professionals<\/li>\n<li>Other Workers<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>can apply under this programme, and the definitions matter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-22056 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/who-can-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1.webp\" alt=\"Who qualifies for the US EB-3 visa\" width=\"1200\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/who-can-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/who-can-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-300x99.webp 300w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/who-can-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-1024x336.webp 1024w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/who-can-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-768x252.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Skilled Workers are people with at least two years of experience or specialist training relevant to the job on offer, which covers technicians, technologists and other technical trades. Professionals are people holding at least a bachelor&#8217;s degree, or a foreign equivalent, in a relevant field: engineers, teachers, IT specialists and comparable roles. Other Workers are hired for unskilled positions that require no particular training, such as general labour, service roles and support work in manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/us-investment-visa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A guide to the US investor visa<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Advantages of the <b>US<\/b> <b>EB-3<\/b> work <b>visa<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Legal work and residence in the United States is only one of the reasons applicants choose the EB-3. The main advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is an immigrant visa, so it leads directly to a US green card<\/li>\n<li>Permanent residence for the applicant, their spouse and children under 21<\/li>\n<li>No investment required<\/li>\n<li>The visa is granted on the basis of the applicant&#8217;s work and skills alone<\/li>\n<li>Access to education and healthcare<\/li>\n<li>The same employment rights as other workers<\/li>\n<li>Job stability and security<\/li>\n<li>It is granted on the basis of a permanent job offer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>EB-3 visa requirements<\/h2>\n<p>Here is what applicants need in order to file under this route:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-718\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-718\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Requirement<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Permanent, full-time job offer from a U.S. employer<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">A U.S. employer hires the applicant for a permanent, full-time position<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">U.S. Department of Labor approval (PERM Labor Certification)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">The employer submits evidence to the Department of Labor that no qualified U.S. worker is available for the position<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Category-specific requirements<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Skilled workers: at least two years of relevant work experience or specialised training<br \/>\n<br \/>\nProfessionals: a bachelor's degree or its equivalent<br \/>\n<br \/>\nOther workers: ability to perform the job, plus labor certification<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Good health<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Required medical examination and vaccinations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Security background<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">No criminal record<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-718 from cache -->\n<h2>Documents required for the EB-3 visa<\/h2>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-734\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-734\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Document<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Filed by the employer with USCIS<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form ETA-9089 (PERM labor certification)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Issued by the Department of Labor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Job offer letter<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">From an eligible US employer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Identity documents<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Passport, birth certificate, national ID card and recent biometric photo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">All prior academic credentials<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">With transcripts and certified translations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Employment documents<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Social-insurance record, employment contracts and CV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Medical examination forms and police records<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">No false or falsified information<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Proof of funds<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Bank statements plus balance and any document evidencing financial standing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Military service completion card, original and copy<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">For male applicants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-11\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Marriage certificate and divorce decree<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">For married applicants<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-734 from cache -->\n<h3>US EB-3 visa costs<\/h3>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-816\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-816\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Stage<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Cost (USD)<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">PERM labour certification (ETA-9089)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Varies<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Includes recruitment advertising and Prevailing Wage Determination costs; a private cost estimate, not a government fee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">See the current USCIS fee schedule<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Government fee paid by the employer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premium Processing<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">See the current USCIS fee schedule<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Optional; shortens processing to 15 business days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">See the current USCIS fee schedule<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Per adult applicant, biometrics included<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Application)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">See the current Department of State fee list<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">For applicants filing from outside the US<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">See the current Department of State fee list<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Financial undertaking by the sponsor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Legal fees<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Varies<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Depends on the law firm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Additional costs (translation, document shipping, medical exams)<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Varies<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Depends on the number of documents and certifications<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-816 from cache -->\n<p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/h1b-visa-usa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A complete guide to the US H-1B visa<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>The application process<\/h2>\n<p>Once your documents are ready and you have found a genuine US employer willing to hire you on qualifying terms, the process runs as follows.<\/p>\n<p>First, the employer files a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/eta\/foreign-labor\/programs\/permanent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PERM<\/a> labour certification with the Department of Labor, demonstrating that it could not find a suitably qualified US worker for that role.<\/p>\n<p>Once PERM is approved, the employer files Form I-140 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/working-in-the-united-states\/permanent-workers\/employment-based-immigration-third-preference-eb-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USCIS<\/a>. If that is approved, the applicant can apply for an immigrant visa abroad, or, if already in the United States in another status such as student status, file to adjust status to permanent resident. Expect the whole sequence to take anywhere from a couple of years upwards, so plan for a long process.<\/p>\n<p>An applicant outside the United States books a <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/us-visa-appointment-booking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US embassy appointment<\/a> and attends with the documents above for the interview, document submission and biometrics. If the immigrant visa is issued, the applicant enters the United States as a lawful permanent resident and starts work under the job offer. The physical green card is mailed after admission.<\/p>\n<h2>How long the US EB-3 visa takes<\/h2>\n<p>Timing depends on several factors. PERM and the I-140 petition alone commonly take one to three years, and the wait for an immigrant visa number can add considerably more, particularly for the Other Workers subcategory and for applicants from countries with heavy demand. The embassy handling the interview, the applicant&#8217;s country of chargeability, whether you go through consular processing or adjustment of status, and whether premium processing is used all affect the timeline. Check the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin for the current position.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-22058 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/time-for-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1.webp\" alt=\"How long the US EB-3 work visa takes\" width=\"1200\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/time-for-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1.webp 1200w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/time-for-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-300x55.webp 300w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/time-for-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-1024x187.webp 1024w, https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/time-for-get-usa-eb3-visa-scaled-1-768x140.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Legal points that matter on the <b>US<\/b> <b>EB-3<\/b> <b>visa<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>A few<strong> legal points<\/strong> will keep your case moving and reduce the risk of requests for further evidence or a refusal. Start with your commitment to the employer: the petition is tied to the specific job offered, and leaving that job too early can undermine your case. Changing employer means a new petition and a new process, and it is not straightforward.<\/p>\n<p>Remember also that only a spouse and children under 21 can accompany you. Finally, never submit falsified documents and never disregard immigration rules: doing so can result in a permanent bar from entering the United States.<\/p>\n<div class=\"test\">Because the process is long, work with an experienced US immigration attorney and read the rules on the official government sources.<\/div>\n<h2>Moving to the United States with Aval Visa<\/h2>\n<p>The EB-3 visa is one of the strongest work-based routes to US permanent residence. If you have the skills, the qualifications or the willingness to take on work the US labour market needs, the experienced team at <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aval Visa<\/a> can help you prepare your US visa application, complete the forms, handle the fees and book your embassy appointment.<\/p>\n<p>Our advisers work with you from the first free consultation through to full case management, mock embassy interviews and form completion. Contact us today for a free consultation on moving to the United States.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Do I need a language certificate for the US EB-3 visa? <\/strong>No. There is no PTE, IELTS or TOEFL requirement. Good English will nonetheless improve your chances of corresponding successfully with a US employer and of finding work in the first place.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How much money do I need to show for a US EB-3 visa? <\/strong>Applicants do not have to show a bank balance. Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support, is only required in employment-based cases where a relative filed the petition or holds a significant ownership interest in the petitioning business. Where it does apply, the sponsor must show income of at least 125 per cent of the federal poverty guidelines.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can I change jobs after arriving in the United States? <\/strong>Yes, but there are rules on when and how, and an early change can require a new petition. Take advice before you move.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Who pays the processing fees? <\/strong>The employer pays for the Department of Labor certification and the I-140 petition. The worker pays the immigrant visa processing fees, starting with Form DS-261.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What visa do a spouse and children get? <\/strong>A spouse and children under 21 are included as EB-3 derivatives and receive immigrant visas alongside the principal applicant, which means they become permanent residents on entry and the spouse can work without a separate permit. Where the family adjusts status inside the United States instead, the spouse can file Form I-765 for an Employment Authorization Document while the case is pending. Children can attend school and university.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A complete guide to the US EB-3 visa: requirements, documents, costs and the legal points that decide cases, plus how our US immigration service works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":22053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}