The Employment Based Third Preference (EB3)
Employer and Labor Certification required

This is for individuals who are "skilled workers, professionals, and other workers."

There must be a job offer by a United States employer for skilled workers and professionals. The job must be in the occupation for which he/she has received training or education, or a closely related occupation. The employer must obtain a labor certification (LC) from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The LC must indicate that the position offered requires the education, training, or experience of the prospective employee. After the LC is approved, the employer may file an employment-based immigrant petition on behalf of the prospective employee.

The category of "skilled," "unskilled," or "professional" is determined by the type of job and the background of the prospective employee.

Skilled Workers
The applicant must show capability in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience in order to qualify for the third-preference category under "skilled worker."

Professionals
Applicants must demonstrate the accomplishment of at least a U.S. baccalaureate degree (or its foreign equivalent) to be classified as "professional" for the third-preference category. The degree should be a minimum requirement in order to enter the profession. Qualifying jobs for E32 are similar to the specialty occupation for H-1B.

Other Workers
The other worker category is for occupations that require less than two years training / experience. The quota for this category is severely backlogged due to large numbers of applicants and low numbers of visas issued each fiscal year.