Skilled Migration / United States / Route
United States · Investment route
An employer-sponsored green card for skilled workers and professionals. Open, well understood — and for Indian nationals, a queue of roughly thirteen years.
Last updated: 2026-10-01
Programme overviewنظرة عامة
Overview
Advising UAE residents on US immigration from our Dubai office.
What you getالمزايا
Provides a direct path to U.S. permanent residency (Green Card).
Available for professionals, skilled, and unskilled workers.
Allows spouse and unmarried children under 21 to obtain Green Cards.
No extraordinary ability, investment, or self-sponsorship required.
Premium processing available on the I-140 (USD 2,965, 15 business days).
Investment & costsالتكاليف
Qualifying investment
Form I-140 filing fee
USCIS Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker
Asylum Program Fee
Paid with Form I-140; USD 300 for a small employer, nil for a nonprofit
Premium processing (optional)
USCIS response within 15 business days (fee effective 1 March 2026)
Form I-485 (adjustment of status) fee
If adjusting status inside the US; applicants aged 14 and over
Government & due-diligence fees
Figures are indicative and exclusive of professional fees. Your advisor confirms an exact, written cost breakdown for your family size.
Eligibilityالأهلية
Requirements
Must have a full-time job offer from a qualified U.S. employer.
Employer must complete the PERM Labor Certification process.
Applicant must meet education, skill, or experience criteria for the role.
Position must comply with U.S. wage and employment standards.
Maintain lawful status if filing within the United States.
Who cannot apply
Missing or invalid job offer from a U.S. employer.
Employer unable to meet prevailing wage or financial requirements.
Insufficient qualifications or work experience for the offered job.
Eligible occupationsالمهن
Eligible Categories
- ✦Professionals — bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- ✦Skilled workers — at least 2 years of experience or training
- ✦Unskilled workers — less than 2 years of experience in non-seasonal jobs
The processكيف نعمل
PERM Labor Certification
Your U.S. employer secures Department of Labor approval confirming no qualified U.S. worker is available.
I-140 Petition
Employer files Form I-140 to classify you under the EB-3 category.
Priority Date
Wait for your visa priority date to become current as per the U.S. Visa Bulletin.
Green Card Application
File Form I-485 (if in the U.S.) or DS-260 (if applying abroad).
Biometrics & Interview
Complete fingerprinting and an interview with USCIS or a U.S. consulate.
Receive Green Card
Get U.S. permanent residence and begin working for your sponsoring employer.
Document checklistالوثائق
Identity and Civil Documents
- ✦Valid passport (current and previous, if applicable)
- ✦Passport-size photographs as per USCIS specifications
- ✦Birth certificate and civil status proof (marriage/divorce certificates, if applicable)
Employment and Qualification Documents
- ✦Official job offer letter from the sponsoring U.S. employer
- ✦Educational degrees, transcripts, and experience certificates
- ✦Updated resume or CV highlighting relevant skills and work experience
- ✦Employer’s financial and business registration documents
- ✦Approved PERM Labor Certification issued by the U.S. Department of Labor
USCIS Forms and Supporting Evidence
- ✦Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) for EB-3 filing
- ✦Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) or Form DS-260 (if applying from abroad)
- ✦Supporting documentation verifying eligibility for the EB-3 position and offered wage
Your XIPHIAS advisor prepares a personalised document list at onboarding. The checklist above is indicative and may vary by family size.
Family scopeالأسرة
All eligible dependants can be included in one application or added after approval.
Age limits, dependency definitions, and addition fees vary by jurisdiction. Your advisor confirms exact rules at onboarding.
Risk notes
India’s EB-3 final action date in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin is 1 January 2014 — roughly 12 years and 9 months behind. This is not a route to a green card in the near term.
EB-3 requires labour certification, Schedule A designation, or Labor Market Information Pilot Program documentation. That adds a Department of Labor stage before the petition even starts.
The Department of Labor proposed raising prevailing wage percentiles from 17/34/50/67 to 34/52/70/88 on 27 March 2026. No final rule has been published, but if it lands it raises the salary an employer must offer to support EB-3 labour certification.
The Other Worker subcategory is further squeezed: the October 2026 bulletin states the FY2027 NACARA reduction brings its annual limit down by about 150.
Compliance
Three subcategories under 8 CFR 204.5(l): skilled worker (at least two years of training or experience), professional (US bachelor’s or foreign equivalent where the degree is the normal minimum for entry), and other worker (under two years of training).
All three require labour certification or an equivalent designation.
Filing fees: Form I-140 USD 715 plus the Asylum Program Fee of USD 600. Form I-485 is USD 1,440 for applicants aged 14 and over.
Premium processing is available at USD 2,965 with a 15 business day response for all three EB-3 subcategories.
The sponsoring employer bears the costs of PERM labour certification.
Questionsأسئلة شائعة
This route, answered.
The EB-3 is a U.S. employment-based Green Card for professionals, skilled, and unskilled workers with valid job offers.
Start the United States route.
A senior advisor will confirm the exact costs, timeline and documents for your case — privately, and entirely off the record.