EB-3 Unskilled Visa: The Complete Guide

EB-3 unskilled is the common name for the “Other Workers” group of the U.S. third employment-based preference (EB-3). The State Department writes it as EW. A U.S. employer that cannot find enough American workers offers you a permanent, full-time job. When the process ends, you, your spouse and your unmarried children under 21 enter the United States as permanent residents — green-card holders.

It is not a temporary work visa such as H-2B: there is no contract end date and no obligation to go home. It is also different from EB-3 “Skilled Workers”, which needs at least two years of training or experience, and from EB-2 NIW, which needs an advanced degree or exceptional ability.

The price of this open door is time. The law sets about 10,000 visas a year worldwide for Other Workers, and since 1997 up to 5,000 of them can be set aside for NACARA cases. No single country may use more than 7% of all employment-based visas. That is why the Visa Bulletin wait — not the paperwork — is the longest part of the journey.

• A real full-time, year-round job offer from a U.S. employer — not seasonal or temporary
• The job needs less than two years of training or experience; many need none
• No university degree is required by law, and there is no age limit
• No English test is required by law — you must be able to do the job and answer interview questions
• You pass the immigration medical exam and have no disqualifying criminal or immigration history
• You plan to take the job when you arrive, and the employer can show it can pay the offered wage

1. Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers6,861
2. Cooks, Restaurant3,758
3. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers3,681
4. Truck Driver3,434
5. Packers and Packagers, Hand3,137
6. Landscape Laborer3,050
7. Home Health Aides2,972
8. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2,754
9. Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food2,635
10. Nursing Assistant2,563

See employers and jobs in the PERM report →

1. 1
   Job offer and agreement

   A U.S. employer agrees to sponsor you for one specific, permanent job. You sign a service agreement and prepare your CV and documents.

2. 2
   Prevailing wage and recruitment

   The employer asks the Department of Labor (DOL) for the minimum wage for the job, then advertises it in the U.S. — a 30-day state job order, two Sunday newspaper ads and a notice at the workplace. It may continue only if no qualified, willing U.S. worker applies.

   DOL is now issuing prevailing wages for requests filed in June 2026.

3. 3
   PERM labor certification

   The employer files Form ETA-9089 with the DOL. The filing date becomes your priority date — your place in the visa line.

   DOL is now deciding PERM cases filed in January 2026; the average is 303 days.

4. 4
   I-140 immigrant petition

   Within 180 days of PERM approval the employer files Form I-140 with USCIS and proves it can pay the offered wage. Premium processing (15 business days) is available for an extra government fee.

   USCIS median for all I-140 petitions: 11.2 months (FY2025 Q3).

5. 5
   Waiting for the Visa Bulletin

   Each month the State Department publishes a cut-off date. When your priority date is earlier than the cut-off for your country of birth, your case can move on.

   November 2026: cases filed before June 1, 2022 are current for most countries.

6. 6
   NVC, medical and interview

   The National Visa Center collects the DS-260 form, fees and civil documents (passports, birth and marriage certificates, police certificates). After a medical exam with an embassy-approved doctor, you interview at the U.S. embassy that handles your case — for example Dhaka or Seoul.

   NVC is reviewing documents submitted on August 24, 2026 (as of November 2, 2026).

7. 7
   Arrival in the United States

   The immigrant visa goes into your passport. You become a permanent resident when you enter, your green card arrives by mail, and you start the sponsored job.

Visa Bulletin prediction →Visa Bulletin since 1995 →

From the job offer to the visa the whole process usually takes about 5 years. The steps overlap: while you wait in the Visa Bulletin line, the I-140 is decided and your documents are prepared.

Every number below comes from today’s official data, so it changes when the government’s speed changes. For a date based on your own PERM filing month, use the green-card timeline calculator.

Calculate my green-card date →

State Department visa fees ↗USCIS fee schedule (G-1055) ↗

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive green cards with you, on the same priority date. Each person needs a DS-260, a medical exam and their own documents.

A child who turns 21 during the wait may still count as a child under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The rule uses the time the I-140 was pending — check it with our child-age calculator.

As permanent residents you can live anywhere in the United States, your spouse can work and your children can go to public school. You are expected to take the sponsored job. After five years of permanent residence you can apply for U.S. citizenship.

Child-age (CSPA) calculator →Family document checklist →After arrival →