Application Process for the U.S. EB-3 Unskilled Worker Visa

The third preference category of U.S. employment-based immigration, the U.S. employer-sponsored EB-3 unskilled worker visa, is applicable to skilled workers, professionals with bachelor's degrees, and other workers. To meet the needs of the unskilled labor market, the U.S. immigration authorities approve applicants who meet the requirements of the third employment-based immigration category for immigration to the United States. It can be said that the U.S. employer-sponsored EB-3 unskilled worker visa is the category with the lowest requirements and is the easiest to apply for among all U.S. immigration applications.

The application process for the U.S. employer-sponsored EB-3 unskilled worker visa is as follows:

I. Apply for a Labor Certification (LC) from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) (approved in approximately 6-8 months). The Labor Certification requires submitting the applicant's information along with the employer's information to the Department of Labor; that is, the application for the labor certificate must be made after receiving the applicant's initial materials. Typically, a confirmation letter from the Department of Labor can be received within 3 days. The confirmation letter includes the receipt date and the Department of Labor case number. Under normal circumstances, the labor certificate, which is the official approval letter, can be obtained in 6-8 months.

II. Submit the I-140 immigrant petition (approved in approximately 6 months after submission (or two weeks with premium processing))

1. After the I-140 immigrant petition is approved, the U.S. immigration authorities will issue the applicant a case number and a priority date (the receipt date from the confirmation letter);

2. Once the priority date is current, the National Visa Center (NVC) will issue a case number for the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and send a list of visa fees (waiting period is approximately 3.5 years);

3. Pay the visa fees and submit the DS-260 visa application form to the National Visa Center to initiate the visa process (approximately 3-4 months after submission);

4. The U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou will notify the applicant to schedule an interview (approximately 1 month);

5. Receive the U.S. immigrant visa;

6. Upon arrival in the United States, the Green Card and Social Security card will be issued within two months;

7. Work for the U.S. employer for at least one year.