January 26, 2026

EB-3 Other Workers: The Unskilled Category Explained

The EB-3 employment-based green card has three subcategories, and the one that opens the door to the widest range of overseas workers is EB-3 “Other Workers,” sometimes called the unskilled category. If the job you are offered does not require a college degree or two full years of experience, this is often the subcategory that applies to you.

This post explains what the “Other Workers” category is, which jobs typically fall under it, and one important trade-off you should understand from the start: Other Workers receive a smaller share of the available visas each year, which can mean longer waits. It is meant to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed immigration attorney.

What Is the EB-3 “Other Workers” Category?

EB-3 stands for Employment-Based, Third Preference. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the three EB-3 subcategories are:

Skilled Workers — jobs requiring at least two years of training or experience
Professionals — jobs requiring a U.S. bachelor’s degree or a foreign equivalent
Other Workers (Unskilled) — jobs requiring less than two years of training or experience

The Other Workers subcategory is defined by USCIS as covering positions that need less than two years of training or work experience and that are not temporary or seasonal. The work must be permanent and full-time. This is the key distinction: it is not that the job requires no skill, but that it does not require the two-plus years of experience that would place it in the Skilled Worker category.

Which Jobs Typically Fall Under “Other Workers”?

Because the defining feature is the experience threshold, a variety of occupations can qualify, provided the certified job genuinely requires less than two years of training. Roles that are commonly sponsored in this subcategory include positions in caregiving, home health assistance, food service and production, housekeeping, hospitality, and general labor.

For example, caregivers, home health aides, and nurse aides are typically sponsored as EB-3 “Other Workers” rather than as skilled professionals, because their positions usually require less than two years of prior experience. These roles go through the standard labor certification process (PERM) rather than the pre-certified Schedule A pathway reserved for professional nurses and physical therapists.

Whether a specific job qualifies always depends on the actual requirements stated in the job offer and the labor certification — not on the job title alone.

The Same Core Requirements Apply

Even though “Other Workers” is the entry point for many, the foundational EB-3 requirements are identical across all three subcategories. Per USCIS, you generally need:

A U.S. employer sponsor. You cannot self-petition. A U.S. employer must file Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, on your behalf.
A permanent, full-time job offer that is not temporary or seasonal.
An approved labor certification (PERM) from the U.S. Department of Labor, in which the employer tests the U.S. labor market and attests that no qualified, willing, and available U.S. worker was found for the role.

You must also meet the requirements the employer lists in the labor certification. If the certified job requires a specific short training period or a set number of months of experience, you generally need to be able to document it.

The Trade-Off: A Smaller Visa Share and Longer Waits

Here is the most important planning point for this category. The U.S. Department of State reports that there are approximately 40,000 EB-3 visas available worldwide each year, but no more than 10,000 of those may go to the “Other Workers” subcategory.

Because the same annual demand is squeezed into a smaller allotment, the Other Workers category can move more slowly on the Visa Bulletin than the Skilled and Professional subcategories. In practical terms, an applicant in the Other Workers category may wait longer for a visa number to become available than a similarly situated skilled or professional applicant from the same country.

How long the wait is depends on your country of chargeability (usually your country of birth) and the monthly Visa Bulletin. Employment-based categories are subject to a per-country cap of roughly 7%, so applicants from high-demand countries face longer cut-off dates than applicants charged to “All Chargeability Areas” (Rest of World). Because these dates move — sometimes forward, sometimes backward through a process called retrogression — you should always check the live Visa Bulletin for your category and country rather than relying on any figure quoted in an article.

Wait times, cut-off dates, and Visa Bulletin data change every month. Verify the current numbers at the official U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin before making any decisions.

How the Process Works, in Brief

For a typical EB-3 Other Workers case, the employer first obtains a prevailing wage determination, then completes PERM recruitment and files the labor certification with the Department of Labor. The date the Department of Labor accepts the certification becomes your priority date — your place in line. Once certified, the employer files Form I-140 with USCIS. When your priority date becomes current on the Visa Bulletin, you either file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) if you are already in the U.S., or complete consular processing with the National Visa Center and a DS-260 immigrant visa application if you are abroad.

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify as derivatives and immigrate based on your approved petition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “unskilled” an insult, or does it mean the job takes no ability? No. In immigration law, “unskilled” is simply a technical label for jobs that require less than two years of training or experience. Many of these roles, such as caregiving, require real skill and dedication — they just do not meet the two-year experience threshold that defines the Skilled Worker subcategory.

Why do Other Workers wait longer? The U.S. Department of State caps the “Other Workers” subcategory at no more than 10,000 visas per year out of roughly 40,000 total EB-3 visas. That smaller share, combined with demand and per-country limits, can mean longer waits than the Skilled or Professional subcategories.

Can I still bring my family? Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may qualify as derivative applicants based on your approved EB-3 petition, regardless of subcategory.

Do I need any experience at all for an Other Workers job? It depends on the certified job. The subcategory covers jobs needing less than two years of experience, but a particular position may still require a short training period or some months of documented experience. Always match your background to the specific labor certification.

A Few Important Reminders

Immigration outcomes are never guaranteed. No employer, agency, or attorney can promise you a job, an approved petition, a green card, or a specific timeline — these depend on your individual facts, government processing, and visa availability.

Government fees, wait times, and Visa Bulletin dates change. Any figure referenced here is as of July 2026 — verify the current information at the official sources below before relying on it.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance about your specific situation, please consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney and rely on the official government sources below.

Sources

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Employment-Based Immigration: Third Preference EB-3: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-third-preference-eb-3
U.S. Department of State — Employment-Based Immigrant Visas: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/employment-based-immigrant-visas.html
U.S. Department of State — The Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
U.S. Department of Labor — PERM (Permanent Labor Certification): https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/programs/permanent
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Visa Availability and Priority Dates: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates