Updated November 1, 2026

EB-3 visa processing time: each stage and its current wait

An EB-3 green card passes through four queues: the Department of Labor (prevailing wage, then PERM labor certification), USCIS (Form I-140), the visa queue set by your priority date, and finally USCIS or an embassy. As of late October 2026, PERM analysts were deciding applications filed in January 2026, an average of 303 days for August decisions. Your country of birth decides how long the visa queue adds.

Every number below comes from the Department of Labor, USCIS and the State Department, with the date each was posted, checked on November 1, 2026.

What are the EB-3 stages?

Skipping stages 1 to 3. USCIS says Schedule A occupations don't need a DOL-approved labor certification. Group I is professional nurses and physical therapists. Their employers file an uncertified Form ETA-9089 with the I-140 instead.

How long does the DOL stage take?

The Department of Labor posts its queues at flag.dol.gov/processingtimes. Here's what it showed on November 1, 2026:

The prevailing wage queue was also carrying 14,980 PERM requests from August 2026 and 14,519 from September 2026 still waiting. Recruitment sits between the wage and PERM stages: under 20 CFR 656.17, the job order runs 30 days and the mandatory steps (the job order and two Sunday newspaper ads) must happen at least 30 days but no more than 180 days before the employer files PERM. Professional jobs need three more recruitment steps.

Don't let the certification lapse. Under 20 CFR 656.30(b), an approved labor certification expires if it isn't filed with an I-140 within 180 calendar days of approval.

How long does the I-140 take?

• Regular processing: USCIS posts the current I-140 time on its processing times tool at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. It blocks automated reads, so we don't copy a figure that could be out of date. Check it for your service center.
• Premium processing: USCIS takes action within 15 business days for skilled workers (E31), professionals (E32) and other workers (EW3). The fee is $2,965, on top of the I-140 fee.
• I-140 fee: $715 on paper or $665 online, plus a $600 asylum program fee ($300 for small employers, $0 for nonprofits), per Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26).

Premium processing speeds up only the I-140. It doesn't move you ahead in the DOL queues or the visa queue.

How long is the EB-3 visa bulletin wait?

Your priority date is generally the date DOL accepted the labor certification for processing. You can file for the green card only when that date is earlier than the cutoff for your category and country of birth. For November 2026, USCIS says employment-based applicants filing inside the US use the Dates for Filing chart:

How to read it (our example). A skilled worker born in Brazil, with a PERM filed on September 15, 2024, has a priority date later than August 1, 2024, so they can't file the I-485 in November 2026. A nurse born in the Philippines with a priority date of December 1, 2023 is earlier than January 1, 2024, so they can file this month if otherwise eligible. Final approval still follows the separate Final Action Dates chart in the State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin, so check that too.

How long from a current date to the green card?

Inside the US, you file Form I-485 with USCIS ($1,440 on paper, $1,390 online for applicants 14 and older). USCIS posts its I-485 time on the same processing times tool.

From abroad, the case goes to the National Visa Center. NVC posts its queues weekly:

After the case is documentarily complete, and only if a visa is available for your priority date, NVC schedules the interview. The State Department's IV Scheduling Status Tool shows which completed-case month each post is scheduling. In its October 7, 2026 version, the Employment Visa column ranged from Oct-2026 at posts such as New Delhi and Abidjan to Mar-2023 in Manila, Jul-2023 in Ciudad Juarez and Sep-2022 in Dhaka. The immigrant visa application fee for employment cases is $345 per person.

At the interview, the officer confirms the job offer, your qualifications for it and your documents. Our H-1B visa interview questions cover how officers ask about an employer and a role, the documents guide covers what to bring, and the 221(g) guide explains holds after the interview.

Which EB-3 category are you in?

All three need a permanent, full-time job offer from a US employer. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get green cards with you or after you. Jobs that involve driving a commercial vehicle now also need evidence of English proficiency, per USCIS. For the temporary work routes, see our L-1 visa requirements and TN visa requirements guides.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.