How many EB-3 visas are issued each year?
Asked by: Prof. Eliza Kovacek | Last update: April 10, 2026Score: 4.9/5 (67 votes)
Each year, about 40,000 EB-3 visas are allocated, representing 28.6% of the total employment-based green cards, with up to 10,000 reserved for the "Other Workers" (EW) subcategory, though the exact number varies as they're part of the larger annual cap for all employment-based visas. For example, in fiscal year 2021, over 55,000 EB-3 visas were issued, showing the numbers can fluctuate significantly within the annual limits.
How many EB-3 visas are issued per year?
Number of EB-3 visa issuances by the U.S. State Department FY 2010-2021. In the fiscal year of 2021, there were 55,240 EB-3 visa issuances and status adjustments to immigrants worldwide to the United States. This is an increase from the previous year, when 42,821 EB-3 visa issuances.
What are the chances of getting an EB-3 visa?
Approval rates for EB-3 visas are generally high when all requirements are met. According to USCIS data, the approval rate for I-140 petitions in the EB3 category typically ranges from 85–90%, depending on the fiscal year and case specifics.
Will EB-3 move forward in 2025?
Yes, the EB-3 category moved forward significantly in early 2025, with forward movement seen in the March and April Visa Bulletins, allowing more filings, but then faced a slowdown and hit annual limits mid-year, pausing visa issuance until the new fiscal year (FY 2026) started October 1, 2025, which brought new movement and acceptance of filings under the new FY's dates. Expect continued, though potentially slower, progress with new fiscal year (FY 2026) numbers resetting in late 2025 and into 2026, with potential for large jumps in Date for Filing (DoF) charts and smaller advancements in Final Action Dates (FAD), especially for less oversubscribed countries and categories like India.
What is the current wait time for EB-3?
EB-3 processing times vary greatly by country (especially China and India) and stage, but currently, expect roughly 16 months for PERM Labor Certification, then several more months for the USCIS I-140 petition, and then potential waits based on Visa Bulletin cutoff dates for Final Action or Dates for Filing, often totaling 3-4 years or more, with NVC processing taking another 4-9 months. For India and China, visa availability is often the biggest bottleneck, with priority dates lagging years behind.
Is There An Annual Quota For The EB-3 Visa? - US Citizenship Immigration Guide
What are common reasons for EB-3 visa delays?
Why Is Getting an Employment Green Card Taking So Long?
- There is a lot of backlogged and slow-moving immigration paperwork at USCIS. ...
- Visa quotas and retrogression are slowing down green card approvals. ...
- Employers are being watched more closely to make sure they are following the rules.
Is USCIS moving faster in 2025?
In 2025, USCIS processing times are mixed, with some forms like Naturalization (N-400) seeing faster processing, while others, particularly Adjustment of Status (I-485) for green cards, are experiencing significant backlogs and longer waits, though receipt notices for new forms are faster, and premium processing remains an option for some employment-based cases. Overall, it's a dynamic period with improvements in some areas but continued challenges, especially for complex family-based and adjustment cases.
Which countries get the fastest green card?
Australia – 1 to 2 years under the General Skilled Migration program. New Zealand – Typically 1 to 2 years, depending on your job offer and skill shortage list. European Countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece) – Residency through investment can be obtained in 6–12 months, though citizenship takes longer.
Is there an EB-3 backlog for Indian applicants?
Therefore, the total backlog for Indian nationals in the EB-3 category is 11 years and 10 months. These lengthy backlogs mean that many Indian STEM workers face significant delays in their journey to obtaining a green card through the EB-2 and EB-3 categories.
Will EB-2 move faster in 2026?
In 2026, EB-2 visa availability remains constrained, with Final Action Dates experiencing delays across multiple countries. Applicants from India and China face the longest backlogs, while other countries have also seen periodic retrogression and slower advancement than in previous years.
What are the disadvantages of EB-3 visa?
However, there are challenges to consider:
- Applicants must have a legitimate employer (sponsor) authorized to hire foreign workers through the PERM Labor Certification process.
- Processing times may vary from several months to years, depending on the applicant's country and category.
Which visa has the highest rejection rate?
Schengen visa rejection rates vary significantly between the countries with the highest rejection rates and the global average. In 2023, the top 10 countries globally faced a 48.5% rejection rate, despite accounting for only 2.7% of all applications.
Is the green card lottery actually random?
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes up to 50,000 immigrant visas available annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to individuals who are from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The DV Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
What's the hardest US visa to get?
The hardest U.S. visa to get often depends on your country, but the B1/B2 Tourist Visa is notoriously difficult due to strict "nonimmigrant intent" rules, requiring proof of strong ties (job, family, property) to your home country to show you'll return. The K-1 Fiancé Visa also has high refusal rates and is high-stakes, while some nationalities face extremely high B1/B2 denial rates, making them nearly impossible for standard visitors.
Is EB-3 hard to get?
Getting an EB-3 visa is moderately difficult, not due to strict requirements but because of significant processing backlogs, high demand, and dependency on a sponsoring U.S. employer for a time-consuming, multi-step process (PERM, I-140, I-485) that can take years, especially for applicants from high-demand countries like India and China, though it's generally easier to qualify than EB-1/EB-2 if you have a relevant degree or experience.
How many green cards are given to Indians every year?
This means that even though there are large numbers of people from countries such as China or India waiting for visas, no more than 9,800 people from each of these countries will typically be approved each year.
Will EB-3 move forward in March 2025?
The Visa Bulletin for March 2025 shows continued forward movement in the priority dates for most EB-2 and EB-3 categories. The March 2025 final action dates for all EB-2 countries (except China) and EB-3 India will advance by six weeks.
Can EB-3 be rejected?
Every small error in an EB3 application can lead to a Request for Evidence (RFE) or even complete rejection. Understanding the “difficult points” and preparing correctly from the start will help you save time and money while avoiding unnecessary risks.
What are common reasons for EB-3 visa delays?
EB-3 visas generally face heavier demand, especially in the “other workers” category. This creates backlogs that can significantly push out your priority date and delay your eligibility to apply for a Green Card.
What is the most difficult citizenship to get?
The hardest countries for citizenship often include Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, and North Korea, due to extremely strict residency rules, cultural assimilation demands, political restrictions, lineage laws, or near-impossible naturalization processes, with Vatican City being uniquely difficult as citizenship is tied to specific roles, not residency. Key factors making citizenship hard are long required residency (decades in Qatar/Liechtenstein), complex local approvals (Switzerland), language/cultural tests (Japan), or outright bans on naturalization (North Korea).
What is the wait time for eb3?
EB-3 visa processing is lengthy, often taking 3 to 4 years or more, with total timelines averaging around 48 months, including PERM labor certification (~16 months), I-140 processing (8-14 months), and waiting for a current priority date due to visa caps and country-specific backlogs, especially for workers from China, India, Mexico, and the Philippines. Key factors influencing delays are PERM backlogs, I-140 processing speeds, and retrogression in the Visa Bulletin.
Is USCIS still waiving interviews in 2025?
Yes, USCIS still waives interviews in 2025 for certain green card (Adjustment of Status) cases, particularly straightforward family-based applications like parents of U.S. citizens or certain children, aiming to expedite approvals, but in-person interviews are now the standard for most other cases, with exceptions for renewals or specific low-risk categories, while the State Department tightened nonimmigrant (temporary visa) interview waivers significantly in late 2025, requiring most applicants to interview in-person.
Can a lawyer speed up the immigration process?
While an immigration lawyer can help you prepare and file your application, they cannot directly influence the processing time of your petition. This means they cannot: Eliminate the backlogs in processing due to high volume or limited resources. Bypass the necessary government procedures required to process a claim.
Is green card 2026 open?
For the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) program, selected entrants can check their status on the official Entrant Status Check page (dvprogram.state.gov/ESC/) using their confirmation number until at least September 30, 2026, as visas are issued based on availability and processing until the end of Fiscal Year 2026, but the lottery itself was selected in May 2025, and recent guidance indicates a pause on DV issuance for security review, affecting processing despite selection.