EB-3 Unskilled from Korea: 2026 guide by GVS Co., Ltd.
For people working in Korea on an E-9, H-2 or F-series visa, the most common route to a U.S. green card is EB-3 Unskilled (Other Workers) immigration. This guide explains eligibility, the process, timing and the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from the point of view of a foreign worker living in Korea, as of October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice for an individual case; always check the official sources below.
1. What is the EB-3 Unskilled visa?
EB-3 is the third employment-based preference: a U.S. employer sponsors a foreign worker for a permanent, full-time job. The Other Workers (unskilled) subcategory covers jobs that need less than two years of training or experience, such as food processing, warehouses, cleaning, hotels and manufacturing. No degree is required, and the green card lets you live and work in the U.S. permanently. The law limits the number of Other Workers visas each year, which is why there is a waiting period.
2. Who can apply?
- Healthy adults who accept a permanent, full-time job offer from a U.S. employer and can do the work
- A valid passport holder (the wait depends on your country of birth)
- Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can receive green cards with you
- Criminal records, earlier visa refusals or immigration violations must be disclosed and reviewed individually
You can apply while working in Korea. During the process you must keep your legal status and current work conditions in Korea.
3. The process: from PERM to the Seoul interview
- Consultation and documents: passport, education and work records, family documents.
- PERM labor certification: the U.S. employer completes the prevailing-wage and recruitment steps and files ETA-9089 with the Department of Labor. The filing date becomes your priority date.
- I-140 petition: after PERM approval the employer files Form I-140 with USCIS.
- Waiting for the Visa Bulletin: you wait until your priority date is current for your country of birth.
- NVC stage: fees, documents and the DS-260 form. When everything is complete the case becomes Documentarily Qualified (DQ).
- Medical exam and interview in Seoul: a panel-physician medical exam, then the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
- Immigrant visa and entry: after you enter the U.S., the green card is mailed to you.
4. How long does it take?
The whole process currently takes about 5 years. It differs from person to person, depending on PERM processing, the I-140, the Visa Bulletin for your country of birth and NVC scheduling, and no one can guarantee an exact timeline.
For reference, the NVC Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool showed on 7 October 2026 that the U.S. Embassy in Seoul was scheduling employment-based cases that became documentarily complete in November 2023. This figure changes every month and does not guarantee an interview date.
5. Documents for applicants living in Korea
- Passports and civil documents proving birth and marriage for you and your family
- Police certificates from every country where you lived for 12 months or more after age 16 (check the State Department country pages for Korea and your home country)
- Education or work evidence if the job requires it
- Panel-physician medical results and vaccination records
6. Costs and avoiding fraud
Costs depend on the case and the stage and should be given to you in writing during a consultation. U.S. government fees (I-140, immigrant visa, green card and others) are separate. Be careful with anyone who guarantees approval or a timeline, asks for cash to a personal account, or wants to start without a written contract. You can check employers and case numbers yourself on official websites.
7. Free GVS seminar
GVS Co., Ltd. holds a free EB-3 seminar every Sunday from 2 to 5 PM at its office in Gangnam, Seoul. Current sponsor jobs are listed on the jobs page, and you can register for the seminar online.