EB-3 green card: frequently asked questions

The credential level the role demands. EB-2 asks for an advanced degree or exceptional ability; EB-3 accepts a bachelor's, or two years of experience in its skilled-worker subgroup. Both require PERM and a job offer, unless the EB-2 goes the NIW route.

No. The EB-3 allows no self-petition in any of its three subgroups: you always need a US employer willing to obtain PERM certification and file the I-140 for you.

It depends on visa availability for your country of birth, not on the category's prestige. For a Chilean both are usually current, so the decision comes down to the role's requirement and what the employer can certify. In backlogged countries, EB-3 sometimes moves ahead of EB-2.

It covers roles requiring less than two years of training or experience. It has its own annual allocation, far smaller than the rest of the EB-3, so it accumulates the longest waits in the whole employment-based system.

Generally yes, but its equivalence to a US degree must be established through a credential evaluation from a recognised agency. That evaluation is part of the file and is worth resolving early, since it determines whether the case proceeds as a professional or as a skilled worker.

With care. Once 180 days have passed since the I-485 was filed and the I-140 is approved, portability to a same-or-similar job exists. Before that point, changing employers normally means restarting PERM with the new one.