EB-3 (Skilled Workers, Professional, or other worker)
You may be eligible for this immigrant visa preference category if you are a skilled worker, professional, or other worker.
• "Skilled workers" are persons whose job requires a minimum of 2 years training or work experience, not of a temporary or seasonal nature
•"Professionals" are persons whose job requires at least a U.S. baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent and are a member of the professions
• The "other workers" subcategory is for persons performing unskilled labor requiring less than 2 years training or experience, not of a temporary or seasonal nature. 
 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Skilled Workers: you must be able to demonstrate at least 2 years of job experience or training; or
• Professionals: you must be able to demonstrate that you possess a US bachelor degree or foreign degree equivalent, and that a bachelor degree is the normal requirement for entry into the occupation. The education and experience may not be substituted for a bachelor degree
• Unskilled Workers: you must be capable, at the time the petition is filed on your behalf, of performing unskilled labor (requiring less than 2 years training or experience). 
• In all cases, labor certification and permanent, full-time job offer are required

GENERALLY REQUIRED EVIDENCE

• Academic or skill qualification
• History of work experience
• US employer’s legitimate entity
• US employer’s financial ability to pay the offered wage

PROCEDURE

Stage 1: LC(PERM) Prevailing Wage Advertisement        
Stage 2: Submit PERM Application        
Stage 3: Submit I-140 to USCIS        
Stage 4: Wait for Visa Availability
Stage 5: Submit I-485 or Consular Processing
Stage 6: Finger Print EAD/AP Issuance
Stage 7: Approval       

TIME FRAMES

Stage 1 to Stage 2: about 4-6 months
Stage 2 to Stage 3: about 4-8 months(changes often)
Stage 3 to Stage 5: depends on the Visa Bulletin
Stage 5 to Stage 6: about 2 months
Stage 6 to Stage 7: about 3-4 months
 

EXCEPTIONS & NOTICE
 

A. The time period between Stage 2 and Stage 3 depends on the workload of DOL
B. A PERM application may get randomly selected by DOL for an audit between Stage 2 and Stage 3, which will cause a significant delay
C. You must have a permanent and full-time job offer from a US employer (sponsor)
D. You may request a premium processing for the review of I-140