Guides

Who qualifies for EB-3 Other Workers (unskilled) sponsorship?

Updated October 13, 2026 · Reviewed by Oscar Yip, Global Immigrate

Family of four with a suitcase ready to move

You may qualify if a U.S. employer offers you a permanent, full-time job that needs less than two years of training or experience, and is willing to sponsor you. No degree is needed, but the wait is long and nothing is guaranteed.

EB-3 "Other Workers" is the employment-based green card category for jobs that need less than two years of training or experience. In short: you need a genuine, permanent, full-time job offer from a U.S. employer that is willing to sponsor you. You do not need a university degree or a skilled trade. This article explains the main requirements and the limits, so you can judge your own situation realistically.

The basic requirements

A permanent, full-time job offer. The job must be a real position with no planned end date, not seasonal or temporary work, and it must be offered by a U.S. employer.
A job that needs less than two years of training or experience. Typical examples are food preparation, housekeeping, warehouse work, packing and general manufacturing tasks. If the job requires two years or more, it falls into a different EB-3 sub-category.
An employer who sponsors you. You cannot apply on your own for this category. The employer starts the process, and it must go through the labor certification (PERM) stage before the green card petition. See our step-by-step PERM guide.
You meet the job's stated requirements. If the employer lists, for example, the ability to lift a certain weight or to work shifts, you must be able to do so.
Admissibility. Like every immigrant applicant, you must pass the medical examination and security and background checks. Certain criminal, immigration or health history can make a person inadmissible, so ask an immigration attorney if you have any concern.

What you do not need

You do not need a college degree, a professional licence or English at a high level for this category, although the employer can set reasonable job requirements that relate to the work. You also do not need to already be in the United States. Many applicants complete the final step through a U.S. consulate abroad.

Your family

Your spouse and your unmarried children under 21 can be included as derivative applicants on your case. They share your place in the queue, and each must also meet the normal admissibility requirements. A child who turns 21 during the long wait may be affected, so family members' ages are worth discussing with an attorney early. The country-of-birth rules also matter; see our guide for people born in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

The annual limit and the wait

U.S. law caps the Other Workers sub-category at 10,000 green cards a year, and those numbers are shared with all applicants, from every country, who are in that queue. Demand is far higher than supply, which is why the Visa Bulletin shows final action dates well in the past. In the October 2026 bulletin, the worldwide date for EB-3 Other Workers is January 1, 2022, and for mainland China it is October 1, 2019. Someone who starts a new case now should plan for several years, and the actual time varies with the Visa Bulletin, the employer's circumstances and processing times. No one can promise you a date.

Questions to ask before you proceed

Who is the employer, and can it show a written job offer with the duties, location, wage and schedule?
Which attorney will file the case, and can I confirm that directly with them?
Am I being asked to pay anything the employer is required to pay? (See who pays EB-3 costs.)

If you are unsure whether your background fits, you can contact us for an initial eligibility check. The final assessment of your case belongs to an immigration attorney, and approval decisions are made by the U.S. government, not by us or by an employer.