Convert your F-1 Student visa into Permanent Residence.
The F-1 visa is temporary, and OPT runs out. The H-1B lottery selects roughly 30% of registrations and asks you to gamble year after year. The EB-3 green card is a permanent path for F-1 graduates who don’t want their future to depend on a random drawing.
Status
Permanent resident
Lottery
Not required
Work
Any employer
Citizenship
Eligible in 5 yrs
You earned your degree here. You learned the system. The EB-3 visa lets you stay.
Every spring, hundreds of thousands of F-1 graduates face the same wall. Your OPT is ticking. Your STEM extension, if you qualify, only buys you another two years. And the path most students were told to take, the H-1B lottery, picks roughly 30% of registrations and forces you to repeat the gamble every cycle until your work authorization runs out.
EB-3 is the alternative. It’s the same employment-based green card category used by hundreds of thousands of permanent workers a year, and it doesn’t run on a lottery. Once your sponsoring employer files PERM, your priority date is locked. From there, the process is deterministic: PERM, I-140, then Adjustment of Status or consular processing. No annual draw. No re-rolling the dice.
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 are included on the same petition. You keep working in OPT or STEM OPT while the case moves. When your priority date is current, you file Adjustment of Status without leaving the country, and you receive a green card with the freedom to live, work, and build a career in the U.S. for the rest of your life.
Two paths. Two very different outcomes.
F-1 / OPT
EB-3 Green Card
Type of status
Temporary student status
Temporary student status
Work eligibility
OPT (1 yr) or STEM OPT (3 yr)
Unrestricted, for life
Path forward after OPT
H-1B lottery, ~30% chance
Direct, no lottery
Path to citizenship
None
Eligible after 5 years
A predictable path, instead of a yearly lottery.
Stop depending on the H-1B lottery
The H-1B cap-subject lottery selects roughly 30% of registrations in a typical year. Most F-1 graduates who want to stay end up gambling on it three years in a row, with their OPT clock running out the entire time. EB-3 doesn’t go through a lottery. It’s a structured, deterministic path: PERM, I-140, green card. Once you start, the only timeline that matters is your priority date.
Use your OPT and STEM OPT as runway
Your 12-month OPT (and the 24-month STEM extension if you qualify) gives you up to 36 months of work authorization while your EB-3 case progresses. Many of our applicants begin the process during OPT specifically so PERM and the I-140 are in motion before their student work authorization expires.
A real path to permanent residence
F-1 is a non-immigrant status. By definition, it ends. EB-3 leads to a green card, lawful permanent residence, which means you can live and work anywhere in the U.S. for life. Five years after receiving it, you become eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Bring your spouse and kids on the same petition
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive permanent residence under the same EB-3 petition. They live with you, study here, and once they have their green cards, can work without separate sponsorship.
Job mobility once your green card arrives
F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, and H-1B all tie you to a specific employer or category. With a green card you’re free to be promoted, accept higher-paying roles, change employers, or relocate to any state, on your own terms.
No employer-sponsored visa renewals to renegotiate
H-1B holders renew status, change roles, and switch jobs through their employer’s sponsorship. As a permanent resident, you handle a single 10-year green card renewal; your right to work doesn’t depend on any one employer’s willingness to file paperwork for you.
A clear answer for your family back home
F-1 status is hard to explain to parents, hard to plan a wedding around, and hard to make long-term financial decisions on. “I’m getting my green card” is an answer that travels: family visits, a mortgage, a long-term lease, a car loan, and the ability to plan beyond a one-year work authorization.
Open EB-3 roles for F-1 graduates.
Our current open EB-3 positions are full-time, year-round roles with vetted U.S. employers who are qualified to sponsor permanent residence. They are entry-level by EB-3 design and chosen because they have chronic, long-term openings, the kind PERM was built to address.
Crew Member
Fast Food Franchisee
Danville, Virginia
October 2026
$26,562 / Year
Recruitment is:
Open
Crew Member
Fast Food Franchisee
Yanceyville, North Carolina
August 2026
$12 / hour. Full time.
Recruitment is:
Open
Crew Member
Fast Food Franchisee
Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, Alaska
November 2026
$14 / Hour
Recruitment is:
Open
Six steps from Job Offer to permanent residence.
Tell us your degree, your OPT or STEM OPT status, and where you’d like to live after graduation. We match you with a vetted U.S. employer who has chronic, long-term openings and is qualified to sponsor an EB-3 immigrant petition.
01
Match with an EB-3 employer
Tell us your degree, your OPT or STEM OPT status, and where you’d like to live after graduation. We match you with a vetted U.S. employer who has chronic, long-term openings and is qualified to sponsor an EB-3 immigrant petition.
02
Job Offer & PERM labor certification
Once you accept your offer letter, the employer files PERM with the Department of Labor, proving no qualified U.S. workers are available. All PERM-related fees, including recruitment and attorney fees, are paid by the employer, never by you.
03
I-140 immigrant petition
Our in-house attorney team, including former U.S. consular officers, files your I-140 petition with USCIS. This step confirms you qualify for the role and locks in your priority date for a green card.
04
Maintain F-1 status while you wait
You can keep working in F-1 OPT or STEM OPT while your case progresses. Our attorneys advise on timing so your student status, work authorization, and EB-3 case stay aligned through every stage.
05
Adjust status or consular processing
When your priority date is current, you file Adjustment of Status from inside the U.S. (Form I-485) without leaving, or complete a DS-260 interview at the U.S. embassy in your home country if you’ve already departed.
06
Receive your green card
You and your qualifying family members, spouse and unmarried children under 21, receive lawful permanent residence and can live, work, and grow a career in the U.S. for life.
How long does it take?
EB-3 is a long-term commitment. Here’s how the four major phases break down. Most of the wait happens in PERM and the visa-availability stage. F-1 graduates often begin the process during OPT so the case is in motion before their work authorization expires.
Total estimated timeline
~48 months from Job Offer to green card
Most of the wait sits in PERM certification and the visa-availability stage, which run on government timelines we can’t speed up.
Pahse 1
Match & PERM filing
Months 1–3
Apply, get matched with an employer, accept the offer letter, and the employer files PERM with the Department of Labor (ETA 9089). Your priority date is locked the day PERM is filed.
Pahse 2
PERM certification
~16 months after filing
PERM certification is currently the longest single step. You can keep working in F-1 OPT or STEM OPT through this phase if your work authorization is still valid.
Pahse 3
I-140 petition
16–20 months after PERM
Our attorneys file the I-140. Standard processing runs up to 9 months; Premium Processing returns a decision in about 15 business days.
Pahse 4
AOS or Consular Processing
~14 months after I-140
Final stage. Adjust status from inside the U.S. (Form I-485) or interview at a U.S. embassy abroad (DS-260). You receive your green card on approval.
A flat fee, paid across the case, not all up front.
Our program is for applicants who are able and willing to pay their portion of immigration attorney fees and government filing fees. Costs are clearly split between you and the sponsoring employer, and your portion is structured as a flat $13,500 fee paid in five installments tied to specific milestones in your case.
You pay
$13,500 total
Paid in 5 installments tied to case milestones. Covers all immigration attorney fees and USCIS / Department of State filing fees for your EB-3 permanent residence process.
The employer pays
All PERM-related costs
By federal law, your sponsoring employer pays the full cost of PERM Labor Certification: recruitment fees, PERM recruitment advertising fees, and PERM attorney fees. We do not charge recruitment or placement fees related to securing employment.
Transparent fee schedule · your portion
$13,500 total, paid in 5 installments
Each installment is tied to a specific case milestone, so you only pay as the case progresses.
1st installment
$2,000
After accepting your Job Offer letter
2nd installment
$2,500
After PERM (ETA 9089) is filed
3rd installment
$3,200
After PERM is approved
4th installment
$2,500
Before filing your I-140 petition
5th installment
$3,300
Before DS-260 or Adjustment of Status
Optional add-on
I-140 Premium Processing, $2,965
Returns a USCIS decision on your I-140 petition in about 15 business days instead of up to 9 months. Excluded from the $13,500 base fee.
Paid separately
Medical exam, at the final stage
A required medical exam is paid directly to a USCIS-approved civil surgeon (in the U.S.) or panel physician (abroad) at the final stage of your case.
Former consular officers on staff
Our in-house immigration legal team includes former U.S. consular officers who handle PERM, I-140, and Adjustment of Status / consular processing end-to-end.
We work with F-1 graduates every cycle
We see students from accredited U.S. colleges and universities through every stage, including those navigating cap-gap, STEM OPT, and the post-OPT cliff.
Is the EB-3 right for you?
Our EB-3 program is for F-1 students and recent graduates who don’t want to spend the next three years gambling on the H-1B lottery. If most of these describe you, we should talk.
Hold or recently held an F-1 student visa at a U.S. college or university
Are on OPT, STEM OPT, or facing OPT expiration soon
Want to live permanently in the United States after graduation
Don’t want to depend on the H-1B lottery year after year
Are willing to commit to a multi-year EB-3 process
Are able and willing to pay your portion of attorney and government filing fees
Straight answers for F-1 students.
I’m currently on F-1 OPT. Can I apply for EB-3 while I’m in the U.S.?
Yes. Many of our applicants are current F-1 students or recent graduates on OPT or STEM OPT. You can begin the EB-3 process while continuing to work under your existing F-1 employment authorization. Depending on timing and your country of birth, you may be able to file Adjustment of Status from inside the U.S.; otherwise your case completes through consular processing in your home country.
What does the EB-3 program cost?
Your total fee is $13,500, which covers all immigration attorney fees and USCIS / Department of State filing fees for your EB-3 permanent residence process. It’s paid in five installments tied to specific milestones; see the fees section above for the schedule. The employer pays for all PERM-related fees. We do not charge any recruitment or placement fees related to securing employment. Premium Processing for the I-140 ($2,965) and the medical exam are optional / separate.
How long does the EB-3 process take?
About four years total, roughly 48 months from Job Offer to green card. PERM certification is currently the longest single step at about 16 months. The I-140 follows for 16–20 months after PERM, and the final Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing stage takes ~14 months on top of that. Many F-1 graduates begin the process during OPT or STEM OPT so the EB-3 case is well underway before their student work authorization expires.
Do I need a STEM degree, or specific work experience?
No. Most EB-3 “Other Workers” and “Skilled Workers” positions require a high-school diploma plus less than two years of training or experience, and EB-3 “Professional” positions require a U.S. bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent). Your degree program does not need to be STEM. We assess your background during a Zoom interview before introducing you to an employer.
What happens if my OPT or STEM OPT runs out before I get my green card?
EB-3 is a multi-year process, so this is something we plan for from day one. If you remain inside the U.S., we coordinate with you and the sponsoring employer on options that may include H-1B (if you’re selected in the lottery), other employment-based statuses, or completing your case through consular processing if you need to depart. Your priority date and pending EB-3 case are preserved either way.
If I lose the H-1B lottery, can EB-3 still work for me?
Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons F-1 graduates contact us. The H-1B cap-subject lottery is a one-shot annual gamble, and many qualified candidates aren’t selected. EB-3 is not a lottery; it’s a structured petition process. Your priority date locks the moment PERM is filed, and your case progresses on government processing timelines, not on whether your registration is randomly drawn.
Can my spouse and children come with me as permanent residents?
Yes. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply under the same EB-3 petition. They become lawful permanent residents along with you and can live, study, and eventually work in the U.S. without needing separate visa sponsorship.
I was born in India or China. Does the EB-3 wait still apply?
Final-stage waits in EB-3 vary by country of birth. Applicants born in India and mainland China currently face longer waits at the visa-availability stage than applicants from most other countries. Your priority date and approved I-140 still preserve your spot in line, and you may be able to maintain F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, or other status during that wait. Our attorneys walk through your specific timeline before you commit.
What support do you provide during the process?
All applicants receive a secure 24/7 client portal where you can track the status of your case, view filing milestones, complete your information questionnaire, upload supporting documents, and pay each installment. Our in-house legal team, including former consular officers, handles every stage end-to-end. If a stage is denied due to an error on our part, we refile at no additional cost.
Take your time. Learn first.
EB-3 is a multi-year commitment, so we don’t blame you for wanting to understand the process before you apply. Watch our YouTube videos for in-depth explainers, or send us a question and our team will get back to you.
Watch & learn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Walkthroughs of every stage of the EB-3 process from former consular officers and our attorney team. New videos every month.
Have a question?
Ask our team about the EB-3 process
Send us a question about how EB-3 works, your eligibility, or what to expect at each stage. We’ll get back to you within 2 business days.
Green Card (EB-3 Visa) – Other Worker Category
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