Let's Talk About Timing:
EB-3 Unskilled Category


Mitchell Saum

September/October 2025

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. If you need legal help, please reach out to me and I can connect you with an appropriate resource based on your needs.

Forward

I’ve been working in this industry since 2017. Over the years, I’ve helped thousands of people navigate the EB-3 Other Workers program—both inside the U.S. on student or work visas, and from abroad through consular processing. My goal here is to give you a clear picture of where things stand today, what’s moving, what’s not, and why it’s still worth considering this pathway even with the delays.

October shows movement in the EB-3 Other Workers category after steady progress earlier in the fiscal year. According to the latest Visa Bulletin:

  • Final Action Date (Chart A): July 8, 2021
  • Dates for Filing (Chart B): December 01, 2021

Chart A remained mostly unchanged from August 2025 (moved forward one week). Chart B moved significantly, about 5 months.

Meanwhile, PERM processing has shown significant progress. The Department of Labor is now reviewing applications with a priority date of June 2024, advancing one month from May 2024 last reported.

The EB-3 Unskilled Process & Estimated Timing

⏳ PERM Processing Update – September 2025

  • Currently reviewing applications filed in June 2024
  • Average processing time: 15.5 -16 months
  • Audit review timelines remain unpublished

While times remain long, the steady forward movement shows cases are being cleared. No signs of major new delays.

Understanding Visa Retrogression

Visa retrogression means too many people are applying for green cards in the same category, and the U.S. slows down approvals because there aren’t enough slots each year. Each year, only a set number of green cards are available per category and per country. When demand is higher than supply, the government pushes the “priority dates” backward. That is retrogression.

Think of it like a restaurant with too many reservations — new customers keep getting pushed further out on the calendar.

In the EB-3 “Other Workers” category, that slowdown is exactly what we’re seeing now. Some countries (like India and China) always have their own longer backlogs. Everyone else is grouped under “All Chargeability Areas.” If your priority date isn’t current because of retrogression, you have to wait longer—even if your paperwork is done and approved.

📉 Visa Bulletin Snapshot – September 2025

Final Action Dates – Chart A

🟦 EB-3 Other Workers (All Chargeability Areas):
→ July 8, 2021
(This is the date your green card can be issued if you're going consular or finalizing AOS.)

Dates for Filing – Chart B

🟦 EB-3 Other Workers (All Chargeability Areas):
→ December 1, 2021
(This is the date you can file I-485 if you're already in the U.S.)

Visa Bulletin and Priority Dates

Official link to latest DOS visa bulletin, updated monthly:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

Why It Still Makes Sense to Apply Now

I hear the frustration from people already in the process. It is long. Four years today versus 1-2 years pre-COVID is a big shift. But here’s why people should still consider starting:

  • Priority date matters. The only way through retrogression is to get in line. If you wait until the category is current, you've only delayed your process. People applying now would benefit from any positive movement coming.
  • Dependents distort the numbers. Each family counts multiple times against the 10,000 visa cap. The proposed Dignity Act (still floating in Congress) would remove dependents from the quota. If that happens, wait times could drop significantly.
  • History of change. Pre-COVID, the process was 12–24 months. In 2020–2022 it stretched to 2–3 years. Now it’s ~4. Timelines move with government capacity, demand, and political reform. It’s fluid…not permanent.
  • Reliability. Nothing in immigration is “guaranteed,” but EB-3 Other Workers is one of the most straightforward ways to get a green card. If you have a clean background and the filings are done correctly, there’s usually no reason for denial.

Mitchell Saum

If you want to talk through whether this program fits your situation, you can book a free consultation with me directly inside the Immilink app: