Services

Employment-Based Green Cards

A U.S. green card through employment allows skilled professionals, executives, researchers, and other foreign workers to live and work in the United States permanently. At Boudia Immigration Law, we guide employers and individuals through the complex, multi-step process of securing employment-based permanent residence.

How It Works

Employment-based (EB) green cards fall into several preference categories. Most require sponsorship by a U.S. employer for a permanent, full-time position—not a temporary job. In many cases, the employer must also complete a rigorous labor market test called PERM Labor Certification, followed by USCIS petition approval and the employee’s application for permanent residency.

Some EB categories allow individuals to self-sponsor based on their qualifications or contributions to the national interest. All EB green card cases require the filing of a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Preference Categories & Requirements

EB-1: First Preference

Best for: Individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers, and multinational executives.
No PERM required
Permanent job offer required for outstanding professors/researchers and multinational managers
No job offer required for individuals with extraordinary ability (self-sponsorship allowed)
Common for scientists, researchers, athletes, and executives

See our Extraordinary Ability Visas (O-1 / EB-1A) page for additional information.

EB-2: Second Preference

Best for: Professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
PERM required, unless applying for a National Interest Waiver (NIW)
Permanent job offer required for standard EB-2 cases
No job offer required under NIW (self-sponsorship allowed)
Common for engineers, physicians, educators, and IT professionals

EB-3: Third Preference

Best for: Skilled workers, professionals, and certain other workers.
PERM required
Permanent job offer required
Requires at least two years of experience or a U.S. bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent)
Common for nurses, tradespeople, and entry-level professionals

What Is PERM Labor Certification?

The PERM labor certification is often the first stage of the green card process for EB-2 and EB-3 categories. It requires a U.S. employer to conduct a formal recruitment process to show that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the offered role. This includes:

Prevailing wage determination from the Department of Labor (DOL)
Multiple recruitment steps (e.g., job advertisements)
Filing of the ETA Form 9089 with the DOL

To learn more about PERM labor certifications and how we can help, visit our PERM Labor Certification page.

How Boudia Immigration Law Can Help

Whether you are an employer sponsoring a key employee or a professional pursuing permanent residence, Boudia Immigration Law provides complete support at every stage: