Professional, skilled or other worker: how the EB-3 categories work

2026-11-02

The three categories

• Professional: the job requires a U.S. bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent
• Skilled worker: the job requires at least two years of training or experience
• Other worker: the job requires less than two years of training or experience

The most common misunderstanding

“I have a degree, so I’m a professional.” Not necessarily. The job decides: if you’re hired as fast-food crew, the job requires no degree and the case is Other Worker.

Can requirements be raised?

Not at will. Labor certification requires that the job’s requirements be normal for the occupation and be the employer’s actual minimum requirements, not tailored to one person. Higher requirements also mean a higher prevailing wage and harder recruitment.

Proving experience

Skilled worker cases need letters from past employers giving the writer’s name, address and title and a specific description of the work you did. Faking experience letters is immigration fraud.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed immigration attorney about your own case.