April 20, 2026

EB-3 Visa Philippines: A Guide for Filipino Workers

The Philippines has long been one of the most significant sources of skilled and professional workers immigrating to the United States, and the EB-3 employment-based green card is one of the most common pathways Filipino workers use. This is especially true in healthcare, where U.S. employers regularly sponsor foreign-trained nurses and other professionals.

This post explains, factually, how the EB-3 process generally works for workers from the Philippines and what per-country dynamics mean for wait times. It is meant to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed immigration attorney, not to replace one.

Why the Philippines Is a Major EB-3 Source Country

The United States and the Philippines share a long history of professional migration, particularly in nursing and allied health. Filipino nursing programs are widely respected, English is broadly spoken, and U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities frequently sponsor foreign-trained staff to fill genuine shortages. As a result, the Philippines appears among the highest-demand countries for employment-based immigrant visas.

Because demand from the Philippines is high, the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Bulletin lists the Philippines as a separate country column, alongside China, India, and Mexico. Every other country — the “Rest of World” — is grouped under “All Chargeability Areas.”

The EB-3 Path for Filipino Workers

Regardless of your country, EB-3 rests on the same foundation. In general, you need:

1. A U.S. employer sponsor who files Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. You cannot self-petition.
2. A permanent, full-time job offer.
3. An approved labor certification (PERM) from the U.S. Department of Labor — or a Schedule A designation for pre-certified shortage occupations.

EB-3 has three subcategories: Skilled Workers (jobs needing at least two years of training or experience), Professionals (jobs needing a U.S. bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent), and Other Workers (jobs needing less than two years, not seasonal).

Healthcare: Nurses and Schedule A

For Filipino healthcare workers, one detail matters enormously. Under DOL’s Schedule A, certain shortage occupations are pre-certified, so the employer can skip the standard PERM recruitment and file the I-140 directly with USCIS. Group I of Schedule A includes professional nurses and physical therapists.

A professional nurse generally qualifies for Schedule A Group I if they hold a CGFNS Certificate, a full and unrestricted state RN license, or have passed the NCLEX-RN. Note that Schedule A is under active DOL review, so verify its current scope before relying on it.

Foreign-educated healthcare workers also generally need a federal Health Care Worker Certification (often satisfied through CGFNS VisaScreen), which verifies education equivalence, valid and unrestricted licenses, and English competency. Passing NCLEX does not automatically grant a state license — licensure requirements vary by state board.

Caregivers and Other Workers

Many Filipino caregivers and home health aides fall under EB-3 “Other Workers,” which requires standard PERM (not Schedule A) and draws from a smaller pool of visas each year. Becoming a U.S. registered nurse later requires a board-approved nursing program, NCLEX-RN, and a state license — caregiving experience does not substitute for that education.

Per-Country Limits and What They Mean

Employment-based immigration is capped at roughly 140,000 visas per year, and no single country may generally use more than about 7% of the annual total. This per-country cap is a ceiling, not a reserved quota — it is the reason high-demand countries like the Philippines can have cut-off dates that sit behind the “Rest of World.”

In practice this means the Philippines often has its own EB-3 cut-off date on the Visa Bulletin that may be somewhat behind Rest-of-World countries, while remaining far more current than India or China, which face the longest backlogs. These dates move — sometimes forward, occasionally backward (retrogression) — every month, so no date should be treated as fixed.

Always verify the current Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov before drawing conclusions about your wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Philippines a good country for the EB-3 route? The Philippines is one of the most established EB-3 source countries, especially in healthcare. It has its own cut-off date on the Visa Bulletin because of high demand, but it is generally far more current than India or China. Your specific timeline depends on the monthly Visa Bulletin.

Do Filipino nurses have a special advantage? Professional nurses and physical therapists fall under DOL Schedule A Group I, which is pre-certified and skips standard PERM recruitment. Nurses generally need a CGFNS Certificate, an unrestricted RN license, or a passing NCLEX-RN score, plus a Health Care Worker Certification. Schedule A is under review, so verify its current scope.

Why does the Philippines have its own column on the Visa Bulletin? Because demand is high, the U.S. lists the Philippines separately alongside China, India, and Mexico. All other countries fall under “All Chargeability Areas” (Rest of World). The per-country cap of roughly 7% is what creates separate, often later, cut-off dates for high-demand countries.

How long will my EB-3 case from the Philippines take? No one can promise a timeline. Waits depend on your priority date and the monthly Visa Bulletin, which changes constantly. Verify the current Final Action and Filing dates at travel.state.gov for EB-3 and the Philippines.

A Few Important Reminders

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

Visa Bulletin dates and government rules change every month. Any date or figure referenced here is illustrative only — verify the current Visa Bulletin at travel.state.gov 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 — The Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html
• 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. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Schedule A Designation (Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part E, Ch. 7): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-6-part-e-chapter-7
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Health Care Worker Certification: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/health-care-worker-certification