US green cards through an employer, by job
A US employer can sponsor a foreign worker for permanent residence through the PERM labor certification. These pages show how often that happens in each job, what the employer offered to pay, and who the sponsors are.
United States: route to a green card
Study, work on OPT, get an H-1B, then an employer sponsors the green card.
- F-1 studentUS degreeBachelor's or master's at a US school
- OPTWork after graduation12 months, or 36 months for STEM majors
- H-1BSpecialty work visaAnnual lottery; up to 6 years
- PERM + I-140Employer sponsors youLabor certification, then immigrant petition
- Green cardEB-2 or EB-3When your priority date is current
United States: route to a green card
A US employer sponsors you directly from abroad; no study or work visa needed first.
- Job offerUS employer hires youCommon in meat processing, farms, hotels, construction
- PERMLabor certificationEmployer pays all costs
- I-140Immigrant petitionEB-3 Skilled Worker or Other Workers
- WaitVisa Bulletin lineOften several years for Other Workers
- Green cardEnter as a permanent residentImmigrant visa interview abroad
Rules as of October 2026. Sources: US Visa Bulletin, DOL permanent labor certification. Always confirm with the official immigration authority.
Visa types and requirements
Pick a visa to see its language, education and experience requirements, how long it lasts and where it leads.
F-1 Student visa
- Language
- Set by the school, usually a TOEFL or IELTS score
- Education
- Admission to a SEVP-certified school
- Experience
- None
- Other conditions
- Proof of funds for tuition and living costs
- Length of stay
- Length of the program
- Leads to
- OPT
OPT Optional Practical Training
- Language
- None
- Education
- F-1 degree program; job must relate to the major
- Experience
- None
- Other conditions
- STEM extension needs an E-Verify employer
- Length of stay
- 12 months; plus 24 months for STEM majors
- Leads to
- H-1B
H-1B Specialty occupation visa
- Language
- No test
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in a related field, or equivalent experience
- Experience
- Not required with a degree
- Other conditions
- Annual lottery weighted by wage level from FY2027 (higher pay, more entries). Petitions for people abroad may face a $100,000 fee, under litigation
- Length of stay
- 3 years, renewable to 6
- Leads to
- EB-2 or EB-3 green card
EB-2 Advanced degree green card
- Language
- No test
- Education
- Master's degree, or bachelor's plus 5 years of progressive experience
- Experience
- As the job requires
- Other conditions
- Employer files PERM and I-140 (the NIW route skips the employer)
- Length of stay
- Permanent
- Leads to
- Citizenship after 5 years
EB-3 Skilled worker or professional green card
- Language
- No test
- Education
- Bachelor's for the professional track; none for skilled workers
- Experience
- Skilled workers: at least 2 years of training or experience
- Other conditions
- Employer files PERM and I-140 and pays labor certification costs
- Length of stay
- Permanent
- Leads to
- Citizenship after 5 years
EB-3 EW Other Workers green card
- Language
- No test
- Education
- None
- Experience
- Less than 2 years required by the job
- Other conditions
- Employer files PERM and I-140; usually the longest wait
- Length of stay
- Permanent
- Leads to
- Citizenship after 5 years
October 2026 rules. Sources: USCIS, Vorys on the FY2027 H-1B lottery and fee. Confirm with the official immigration authority before applying.
This month's green card wait
October 2026 Visa Bulletin, "all chargeability areas" column, which covers most countries. India, China, Mexico and the Philippines have their own columns.
Jobs that don't need a degree
The employer files for labor certification, then an immigrant petition, and the worker gets the green card from abroad when their date comes up. The wage shown is the median the employer offered on certified applications.
Manufacturing
- Welder $25.94/hr 1,243 certified
- Assembly line worker $25.30/hr 1,311 certified
- Industrial machinery mechanic $17.92/hr 1,753 certified
Food processing and farms
- Meat and poultry trimmer $27.51/hr 555 certified
- Meat packer $19.52/hr 2,876 certified
- Butcher $26.07/hr 1,919 certified
- Livestock and poultry farmworker $31.06/hr 5,892 certified
Construction and repair
- Electrician $26.31/hr 2,135 certified
- Plumber $20.99/hr 1,738 certified
- Construction laborer $18.97/hr 4,449 certified
- Auto mechanic $21.17/hr 4,037 certified
Hospitality and logistics
- Cook $23.60/hr 3,965 certified
- Hotel housekeeper $23.71/hr 4,611 certified
- Warehouse worker $20.06/hr 2,282 certified
Healthcare
Search sponsoring employers Check whether a company you were offered has actually sponsored green cards before.
After a US degree
The student route runs from a US degree to OPT work authorization, then an H-1B visa, then a green card. H-1B and green card figures add up the main jobs graduates of each major go into. Select a column heading to sort.
| Major | OPT | Bachelor's earnings, year 1 | H-1B certified | H-1B median salary | Green cards certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 36 months | $92,000 | 93,037 | $111,000 | 11,136 |
| Computer Engineering | 36 months | $65,000 | 30,137 | $127,000 | 4,018 |
| Electrical Engineering | 36 months | $55,000 | 65,989 | $89,000 | 7,153 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 36 months | $78,000 | 40,270 | $114,000 | 7,004 |
| Chemical Engineering | 36 months | $105,000 | 35,703 | $98,000 | 4,985 |
| Industrial Engineering | 36 months | $66,000 | 31,607 | $99,000 | 7,549 |
| Civil Engineering | 36 months | $56,000 | 10,705 | $73,000 | 1,799 |
| Data Science | 36 months | $85,000 | 44,215 | $128,000 | 9,904 |
| Statistics | 36 months | $71,000 | 57,552 | $101,000 | 12,210 |
| Management Information Systems | 36 months | $65,000 | 86,593 | $150,000 | 14,985 |
| Biology | 36 months | $95,000 | 87,337 | $140,000 | 21,867 |
| Nursing | 12 months | $56,000 | 41,543 | $104,000 | 4,927 |
| Finance | 12 months | $82,000 | 43,825 | $125,000 | 3,410 |
| Accounting | 12 months | $96,000 | 11,124 | $93,000 | 1,682 |
| Economics | 12 months | $83,000 | 83,978 | $108,000 | 18,356 |
| Marketing | 12 months | $104,000 | 101,553 | $135,000 | 22,986 |
36 months of OPT includes the 24-month extension for STEM-designated majors.