Common questions.

Yes, and that is only the first part. The foundation of every EB-3 case is a real offer of permanent, full-time employment from a U.S. employer. Completing the eligibility check is not a job offer and does not guarantee an employer interview. Qualified candidates may be invited to apply for available positions, and each employer independently decides whom to interview, hire and sponsor. If an employer offers you a position and you accept it in good faith, the employer may then file a sponsorship petition for your permanent residency.

It is not a job you start soon. The job begins once your immigrant visa is issued and you arrive in the U.S. That is about 3 to 5 years away, and often longer, depending on your country of birth.

Many EB-3 Other Worker positions do not require prior industry experience, and employers may provide training. Requirements vary by position, and each candidate must meet the requirements stated in the job offer and in the certified labor application. Where you have hospitality or food service experience already, it helps, and many positions run on exactly that experience.

Yes. The EB-3 Other Worker category is for positions that require less than two years of training or experience, so a degree or a different career does not stop you from applying. People from many backgrounds may qualify for these roles. What matters is that you are willing to do the work as the employer requires, for the long term, and that you meet the requirements stated in the job offer.

It depends on the position, and the employer decides. Every position requires enough English to understand instructions, training and safety information. Customer-facing roles need you to hold a conversation comfortably. We discuss this with you at the screening interview.

The visa category sets no age limit. You need to be able to do the work the employer requires. Every immigrant visa applicant also completes a medical examination, which is a government requirement and is separate from the employer’s decision.

If the screening interview goes well, we arrange a consultation with an independent immigration attorney. Only after that, and only if you decide to go ahead, do you sign the service agreement and pay the $500 engagement deposit. The deposit is credited to your first payment and is refunded if you are not offered a position. It does not purchase or reserve a job, sponsorship, a labor certification or a visa.

Possibly. It depends on your current immigration status, and the path is different from applying from outside the U.S. Tell us your situation in the eligibility check. If you pass the screening interview, raise your status with the independent immigration attorney at your consultation.

Having relatives in the U.S. does not by itself affect an employment-based case. Your case is filed by the employer and assessed on its own merits.

Candidates in process come from more than 35 countries, most of them in Asia and South America. If your country is not one we have worked with before, that is not a problem in itself. The wait for a visa number in this category depends on your country of birth and changes every month. We go through the current position for your country with you before you decide.

About 3 to 5 years, and often longer, depending on your country of birth, because the wait for a visa number is set by the U.S. government and published each month in the Visa Bulletin. The stages, in order, with the current figures:

1. Wage determination. The U.S. Department of Labor sets the wage for the position. Currently 4 to 9 months.
2. Recruitment and filing. The employer advertises the position to U.S. workers, then files the labor certification. Currently 2 to 3 months.
3. Labor certification review. Currently about 12 months.
4. Petition, then the wait for a visa number. After the petition is approved, your case waits for a visa number. This wait depends on your country of birth and currently runs several years.
5. Visa application and interview. Documents go to the National Visa Center, then you attend an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country.

These figures change every month. Government processing times and visa availability can advance, pause or move backwards, and no interview or arrival date can be promised. We give you the current position for your own country in your screening interview.

A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may be eligible to be included on the same case. Eligibility depends on the rules that apply when the case is filed, and children who are close to 21 need particular attention. We go through your family situation with you, and the attorney reviews it in your consultation, before anything is submitted.

A spouse and unmarried children under 21 who qualify do not need a separate petition. Each family member does file their own immigrant visa application, with their own government fees, documents and medical examination. Family members may process with you, and timing can differ from person to person.

Not through this case. This visa category covers a spouse and unmarried children under 21 only. A permanent resident cannot petition for a parent. A U.S. citizen aged 21 or over may petition for a parent under a separate process with its own rules, and citizenship is itself a separate process that many permanent residents may become eligible for after meeting the applicable requirements, commonly after at least five years.

No. This is a legal process decided by the U.S. government, and every case is assessed on its own facts. Each employer independently decides whom to hire and sponsor. What we do is work with vetted employers, screen every candidate, and arrange a consultation with an independent immigration attorney before you sign anything.

USDH professional fees are $18,000 to $20,000 depending on the position, plus government filing fees, which are separate and set by the government. They cover USDH services: screening and preparation, case coordination, document work, interview preparation and support after you arrive. They do not pay for, or reimburse the employer for, recruitment or the labor certification, which U.S. law requires the employer to bear.

Payments are spread across the life of your case: a $500 engagement deposit when you sign, then three payments of 20%, 40% and 40%, each due only when your case reaches a set point written in your service agreement. If your case has not reached that point, that payment is not due. The full fee schedule is given to you before you sign anything.

It depends on the stage your case had reached and the reason. No further payments are due once a case stops, because each payment is tied to your case reaching a set point. Fees already earned for completed USDH services are not returned, and government filing fees are never refundable. Whether a case can be refiled, or whether another employer opportunity is available, depends on the stage and the reason, and replacement cannot be guaranteed. The refund terms for each situation are written in the service agreement, which you receive and can review before you pay anything.

No further payments are due if your case stops, because each payment is tied to your case reaching a set point in your service agreement. Fees for services already completed are not returned, and government filing fees are never refundable. Whether a case can be refiled, or whether another employer opportunity is available, depends on the reason and the stage reached, and is reviewed with the attorney. Replacement cannot be guaranteed.

Fees already paid are not returned if you withdraw, because the USDH services for those parts of your case have been provided. Your $500 engagement deposit is refunded if you are not offered a position, or it can be credited toward a different employer opportunity if you would rather try again. If you withdraw on your own, or miss a scheduled interview without rescheduling, the deposit is not refunded. The exact terms are in the service agreement you review before paying anything.

The payment plan spreads the cost across the life of your case, so nothing beyond the deposit is due until your case reaches a set point. We also run a referral program with written terms, which you can ask us for. A referral reward is paid only when the person you referred reaches a set milestone in their own case, never on a deposit alone, and referring someone has no effect on any immigration decision in your case or theirs.

Participating employers are across the U.S., mostly in hotels and quick service restaurants. You tell us the kind of work, the type of employer and the part of the U.S. you would prefer, and we consider those preferences when identifying positions you may apply for. Availability is limited, and each employer decides whom to interview and hire. The specific employer, city and role are confirmed with you after the eligibility check and screening.

Because they have had trouble filling these roles locally for years. Before we work with an employer we check that they can pay the offered wage, that the position is real, that their leadership is committed, and that they understand the process takes about 3 to 5 years, and often longer. We continue to monitor material developments, though no review can guarantee that an employer’s ownership, operations or financial condition will stay the same across a process this long.

Yes, and you should. Labor certification processing times are published by the Department of Labor and petition processing times by USCIS. The monthly Visa Bulletin publishes the cutoff dates for each visa category and country of birth; it does not show an individual’s place in line, but it tells you whether cases with your filing date are being processed. We give you your case numbers so you can check them yourself at any time, and our case team explains what each update means for you.

It can happen, for example if a business closes or changes hands, although we vet employers to reduce that risk. If it does, USDH looks at whether another bona fide employer opportunity is available. Replacement cannot be guaranteed, a new labor certification may be required, and whether your place in line can be kept depends on the stage your case has reached and the law that applies. The attorney advises you on that at the time.

You accept the position in good faith, intending to work in the role you were hired for. This is a permanent, full-time position, and the employer has invested years and its own legal costs to bring you over. The service agreement you sign includes a twelve-month commitment to the sponsoring employer. It is set out in plain terms and explained to you, by us and by the attorney, before you sign anything.

Housing is not part of the job offer. Our client services team helps you find a place to live, apply for a Social Security number and settle in when you arrive. The specifics depend on the employer and the location.

Yes, it can. Government policy, processing times and visa availability change, and a pause or delay may affect some countries differently from others. Labor certifications and petitions continue to be filed and approved. We discuss the current situation for your country with you before you commit, and the attorney advises you on it in your consultation.

It depends on the reason for the refusal. Some refusals are resolved by providing additional documents; others are more serious. We prepare you for the interview and the attorney advises you on your options if a refusal happens. Being transparent from the start, with us and with the attorney, is the most important thing you can do to avoid problems at this stage.

Yes. The U.S. government does not require you to use USDH or any agency. You would need to find a U.S. employer willing to file a sponsorship petition for you and to pay the recruitment and legal costs of the labor certification, which U.S. law requires them to cover. Employers who know this program and are set up to run it are hard to find, and that is the part we take on for you.

We provide an opportunity, and the service around it. We find and review U.S. employers that have real, permanent, full-time positions and that understand and accept the sponsorship process. We check whether you may qualify, prepare you, and introduce you to an employer for an interview. If the employer hires you, we work with independent immigration attorneys who prepare and file every stage of the case, check your documents so nothing is filed late, prepare you for the visa interview and help you settle in after you arrive.

Two decisions are never ours. The employer decides whom to interview, hire and sponsor. The U.S. government decides every immigration case. What you pay for is the service that supports your case from screening to arrival.