EB-3 Visa Statistics & Annual Cap Data

Q: What is the EB-3 Other Workers annual cap?

Approximately 10,000 visas per year including derivatives, plus spillover from unused EB-1/EB-2 visas.

Q: How does my country of birth affect wait times?

India and China have per-country backlogs. Most other countries fall under the Rest of World cutoff with shorter waits.

The EB-3 Other Workers category is subject to an annual numerical limit. Understanding how visas are distributed helps applicants estimate wait times and plan accordingly.

Annual Cap Structure

Total Employment-Based Cap — 140,000 visas per year (including derivatives)
EB-3 Other Workers Sub-cap — 10,000 visas per year (including derivatives)
Per-Country Limit — No single country can use more than 7% of the total employment-based cap per year
Spillover — Unused EB-1 and EB-2 visas spill down to EB-3, often increasing availability in certain years

Priority Date Mechanics

Your priority date is set when the PERM Labor Certification application is filed with the DOL. Each month, the State Department publishes the Visa Bulletin, which shows the cutoff date for each preference category and country. When the bulletin's cutoff date reaches or passes your priority date, you are eligible for the next processing step.

Countries with Backlogs

India and China have the longest backlogs due to the per-country cap and historically high demand. Workers from all other countries (including Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Philippines, and most of Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia) typically fall under the "Rest of World" cutoff, which moves more predictably.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EB-3 Other Workers annual cap?

The EB-3 Other Workers sub-category has an annual numerical limit of approximately 10,000 visas (including derivative family members). Unused visas from higher EB preference categories can be added when those categories are not oversubscribed.

How does my country of birth affect wait times?

Visa numbers are allocated per country. India and China have the highest demand relative to their per-country caps, creating multi-year backlogs. Most other countries fall under the "Rest of World" cutoff and have substantially shorter waits.