The EB-3 skilled worker visa is the main way a welder, chef, diesel mechanic, electrician or other tradesperson can move to the United States with employer sponsorship, and it comes with a green card from day one. The legal test is simple: the job must require at least two years of training or experience, and you must be able to prove you have it. No university degree is needed.
Pay for these roles typically starts above $30,000 a year and often reaches $50,000–$70,000 for licensed or specialized trades. The trade-off is time. Between the Department of Labor’s PERM process and the green card queue, most cases take two to four years or longer. This guide covers which jobs qualify, what they pay, each PERM step with a timeline, how to document your experience and how to find employers without paying a scammer.
What counts as a “skilled worker” under EB-3?
EB-3 has three subcategories: professionals (bachelor’s degree), skilled workers, and other workers (less than two years of training). What matters is the minimum requirement of the job, not just your personal background. If an employer would accept someone with six months of experience, the job is classified as “other worker” even if you have ten years.
Relevant post-secondary training, such as a two-year vocational diploma, can count toward the two years. The Department of Labor also checks that the employer’s stated requirements are normal for the occupation, using its O*NET classifications, so an employer cannot simply demand two years of experience for a job that ordinarily needs three months of training.
This matters because the “other workers” queue is much longer. We cover that route in our guide to entry-level and no-experience US visa sponsorship routes.
Which skilled jobs get sponsored, and what do they pay?
The figures below are broad national ranges drawn from US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data. Actual pay depends heavily on state, union status and overtime. Your employer must pay at least the prevailing wage the Department of Labor sets for your exact job and county; you can look wages up by occupation on bls.gov.
| Occupation | Typical annual pay | Usual EB-3 class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welder, fabricator | $40,000–$65,000 | Skilled | Certifications such as AWS help; pipe and structural welders earn more |
| Diesel or heavy equipment mechanic | $48,000–$75,000 | Skilled | Strong demand in trucking, agriculture and construction |
| Automotive technician | $38,000–$65,000 | Skilled | Dealership groups are the usual sponsors |
| Chef, head cook, specialty cook | $35,000–$65,000 | Skilled | Ethnic cuisine specialists are common EB-3 cases; line cooks often fall under other workers |
| Electrician, HVAC technician, plumber | $48,000–$80,000 | Skilled | State or local license normally needed before you can work unsupervised |
| CNC machinist, tool and die maker | $42,000–$70,000 | Skilled | Manufacturing employers in the Midwest and South |
| Butcher, meat cutter | $32,000–$48,000 | Skilled or other | Depends on the experience the role truly requires |
| Certified nursing assistant | $32,000–$45,000 | Usually other | CNA training is short, so most cases are classified as other workers |
| Commercial truck driver | $45,000–$75,000 | Skilled or other | Requires a US commercial driver’s license and English proficiency |
A note on CNAs and caregivers: adverts often describe them as “skilled worker” visas, but because certification takes weeks rather than years, the government normally places them in the other-worker group. Registered nurses are different and much faster; see EB-3 healthcare jobs for nurses and physicians.
How does the PERM process work, step by step?
PERM is the Department of Labor’s test of the US labor market. The employer runs it and pays for it. Your role is to supply accurate information about your qualifications.
- Job description and requirements. The employer and its attorney define the duties and minimum requirements. These must reflect the employer’s real needs and match your provable background.
- Prevailing wage determination. The employer asks the Department of Labor’s National Prevailing Wage Center to set the minimum wage for the role and location through the FLAG system at flag.dol.gov.
- Recruitment. The employer posts a 30-day job order with the state workforce agency, runs two Sunday newspaper advertisements and posts a notice at the worksite. It must interview qualified US applicants and can only proceed if none is able, willing, qualified and available.
- Waiting period and filing. After a mandatory 30-day quiet period, the employer files Form ETA-9089 electronically. The filing date becomes your priority date, your place in the green card queue.
- Certification or audit. The Department either certifies the application or audits it, asking for the recruitment evidence. Audits add many months.
- Form I-140. Within 180 days of certification the employer files the immigrant petition with USCIS, proving your experience and its ability to pay the wage. Premium processing is available for a faster decision.
- Green card stage. When your priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin, the National Visa Center collects your DS-260, civil documents and fees, and the consulate interviews you. If you are lawfully in the US you may file Form I-485 instead.
How long does EB-3 skilled take in 2026?
| Stage | Typical duration at the time of writing |
|---|---|
| Prevailing wage determination | Roughly 4–8 months |
| Recruitment and quiet period | 2–3 months |
| PERM processing | Around 12–16 months; longer if audited |
| I-140 | Weeks with premium processing; several months without |
| Wait for priority date | From no wait to a year or more for most countries; many years for India and China |
| National Visa Center and interview | 4–10 months |
Added together, two to four years is a realistic planning figure for most nationalities. Processing times move constantly, so check the Department of Labor’s published processing times and the State Department’s Visa Bulletin on travel.state.gov. No employer or agent can honestly promise a shorter, fixed timeline.
How do you prove two years of experience?
This is where many skilled-worker cases fail. USCIS wants letters from current or former employers that include:
- Company letterhead, address and the signer’s name and title
- Your job title and exact start and end dates
- Whether the work was full time, with hours per week
- A specific description of duties, equipment, materials and techniques
The experience must have been gained before the PERM filing date, and generally not with the sponsoring employer in the same role. Part-time work is counted pro rata. If a former employer has closed or refuses to write a letter, USCIS may accept sworn statements from former supervisors or colleagues together with payslips, tax records, social insurance records or contracts.
Trade certificates, apprenticeship papers and licenses strengthen the case. Get certified English translations of everything.
Who pays for what?
- Employer: all PERM costs, including advertising and attorney fees for the labor certification. This is a legal requirement, and the employer cannot seek reimbursement from you.
- Either party: the I-140 filing fee and premium processing are usually paid by the employer but may be negotiated.
- Usually you: the immigrant visa fee for each family member, medical exams, police certificates, translations, the USCIS immigrant fee and flights.
For a family of four, the personal costs at the visa stage commonly run to a few thousand dollars before flights. Check current government fees on uscis.gov. On arrival you will need a rental deposit, first month’s rent and, in most places, a car. With no US credit history, expect higher deposits and auto loan rates at first; our guide to auto loan rates for first-time buyers explains how to keep the cost down.
How do you find employers willing to sponsor skilled trades?
- Use PERM disclosure data. The Department of Labor publishes every PERM case with the employer name, job title, wage and worksite. Filter by your occupation to build a list of employers that have actually filed for welders, mechanics or cooks.
- Target sectors with chronic shortages: shipbuilding and fabrication, trucking fleets and dealerships, food processing, restaurant groups, regional manufacturers and construction contractors.
- Apply through official careers pages and explain in one line that you are seeking EB-3 skilled worker sponsorship and have documented experience.
- Be careful with recruiters. Some legitimate overseas agencies work with US employers, but the employer must be identifiable and must be the one paying for PERM.
The full research method is in how to find visa sponsorship jobs in the USA.
Scam warning
Legitimate employers do not charge for job offers or sponsorship. Be suspicious of anyone selling “EB-3 slots”, asking you to pay the employer’s PERM costs, or refusing to name the employer until you pay. Once a case is filed, ask for the PERM case number and later the USCIS receipt number, and check the status yourself on the government websites. Any US lawyer involved should be verifiable with a state bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my experience have to come from formal employment?
It must be verifiable. Formal, documented employment is the easiest to prove. Informal work with no records, payslips or tax history is very hard to use, because USCIS will not accept your own statement alone.
Can self-employment count toward the two years?
It can, but expect close scrutiny. You would need business registration, tax filings, invoices, contracts and letters from clients describing the work you did. Discuss this with the employer’s attorney before the PERM is drafted.
Do I have to stay with the sponsoring employer after I get the green card?
You must genuinely intend to take up the job when you immigrate. There is no fixed legal minimum period, but leaving very quickly can raise questions later, for example when you apply for citizenship. Many attorneys advise staying at least six months to a year; get individual advice.
Does the employer have to pay me the PERM wage before I arrive?
No. The offered wage applies once you become a permanent resident and start the job. The employer must, however, show from the priority date onward that it has the financial ability to pay it.
Is there an English test for EB-3 skilled workers?
There is no government English test for the visa. Individual occupations may require it in practice, such as commercial drivers, and licensed trades have exams in English. Employers will also interview you in English.
Bottom line
If you have two or more years of solid, provable trade experience, EB-3 skilled is a legitimate route to a US green card with pay well above $30,000. It demands patience, precise documents and an employer prepared to fund PERM. Use government data to find real sponsors, keep your experience letters watertight, and treat anyone selling a shortcut as a red flag.