EB-3 and Other Employment Routes
6. EB-3 — Skilled Workers, Professionals and Other Workers
EB-3 is one of the broadest employment-based categories.
It covers three main groups:
1. Skilled workers
These are positions requiring at least two years of training or work experience, subject to the applicable requirements.
2. Professionals
These generally involve positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification.
3. Other workers
This covers certain positions requiring less than two years of training or experience, again subject to the programme’s requirements.
For many international workers, EB-3 can be an important route because it is not limited to people with extraordinary achievements or advanced degrees.
But that doesn’t mean it is easy.
Employer sponsorship is central to the process, and many cases involve labor certification.
There can also be significant waiting periods depending on the worker’s category and country of chargeability.
The Visa Bulletin is therefore something you should learn to understand rather than ignore.
The Department of State publishes employment-based final-action and filing dates, and USCIS determines which chart applicants inside the United States may use for adjustment filings in a given month.
7. EB-5 — For Those Combining Investment With Immigration
This final option is different from the others.
EB-5 isn’t a normal worker sponsorship route.
It is an immigrant investor pathway for people who qualify through the required investment and job creation framework.
I’m including it because international workers researching U.S. permanent residence sometimes discover that their strongest option may not involve employer sponsorship at all.
However, this is not a shortcut for someone who simply wants a U.S. job.
It involves a substantial financial commitment and specific immigration requirements.
So if your plan is:
“I’will find a company in America and have them sponsor my employment.”
Then EB-5 is not the route you are looking for.
It belongs in a different conversation.