EB-3 Visa Sponsorship Companies in the USA: How to Find Employers That Sponsor

Written by the Ellis Porter content team. This article has not been reviewed by an attorney. It is general information, not legal advice.

Start with the sponsor, because everything depends on it

If you are searching for a US company that will sponsor your green card, you have probably found plenty of sites promising "lists of EB-3 sponsors." We understand the appeal. But no official list exists, and the most useful information is free, public, and comes straight from the government. Here is how to use it, and how to tell a real sponsor from a risky one.

EB-3 is the third-preference employment-based green card under INA 203(b)(3), for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers. You cannot self-petition. A US employer has to offer you a permanent, full-time job and sponsor you, almost always through the Department of Labor’s (DOL) PERM labor certification first. For the category rules, see our EB-3 visa guide.

How do you find out which companies actually sponsor EB-3?

Use DOL’s own data. DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification publishes PERM disclosure files on its performance data page. According to that page:

• The files contain "employer-specific case information" from PERM applications, plus system-generated data such as received dates and decision dates.
• The latest PERM file listed as of October 2026 covers fiscal year 2026 through the third quarter, October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 (PERM_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx).
• Each file comes with a record layout PDF that explains every field.
• Files go back to fiscal year 2008.
• DOL notes that some data is excluded for privacy reasons or because of form limits, and that the files are not employer responses to the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey.

DOL also announced on August 14, 2026 that it had released the Q3 fiscal year 2026 disclosure data. New quarters are added over time.

How to use the PERM disclosure data

1. Download the most recent PERM file and its record layout.
2. Use the record layout to find the fields for the employer, the job or occupation, and the worksite, then filter for your field and the area where you want to work.
3. Look at which employers filed cases for roles like yours, and how those cases were decided.
4. Make a shortlist of employers that filed repeatedly in your field.
5. Go to those employers’ own career pages and look for permanent, full-time openings.

This tells you who has sponsored, not who will sponsor you. But an employer that files PERM cases regularly for roles like yours already has the process and the budget in place, which makes the sponsorship conversation much easier.

PERM data covers EB-2 and EB-3 cases together, since both start with PERM. The job requirements in each case indicate which category fits. Our EB-2 visa guide explains the difference.

What does an EB-3 sponsor commit to?

A sponsor takes on real obligations, which is why not every employer agrees:

• A permanent, full-time job. Under 20 CFR 656.10(c), the employer attests that the job is for full-time, permanent employment and has been clearly open to any US worker.
• At least the prevailing wage. The employer must get a prevailing wage determination from DOL and offer at least that amount.
• PERM recruitment. Under 20 CFR 656.17(e), it must advertise the job and consider US applicants, and it can only proceed if no qualified US worker is available.
• The I-140 petition. It files Form I-140 with USCIS and must show the ability to pay the offered wage from the priority date until you get your green card, under 8 CFR 204.5(g)(2).
• A real US presence. DOL’s PERM page says employers must qualify as a US employer with a valid FEIN and a US location to which US workers can be referred.

The employer also pays. Under 20 CFR 656.12(b), it may not seek or receive payment of any kind for activities related to the labor certification, including its attorneys’ fees. The I-140 fees under the current USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26) are $715 on paper or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $600 for most employers or $300 for small employers. Our I-140 filing fee guide has the details.

Which jobs can qualify for EB-3?

The job has to fit one of the three EB-3 groups, as USCIS’s EB-3 page describes:

Temporary and seasonal jobs do not qualify. And for other workers, the statute caps EB-3 visas at 10,000 a year, so that line can be especially long.

Some healthcare jobs follow a shortcut. DOL’s Schedule A, under 20 CFR 656.5, pre-certifies professional nurses and physical therapists (along with certain people of exceptional ability). For those roles, the employer skips the PERM recruitment stage and files with USCIS directly, though it still needs a prevailing wage and a posted notice.

What job-posting signals can you look for?

PERM recruitment leaves a public trail. A professional PERM case requires a 30-day job order with the state workforce agency, two Sunday newspaper ads, and three more steps, such as the employer’s website or a job search site. The employer must also post a notice of filing at the worksite for 10 business days.

If you see an employer regularly placing these kinds of ads for roles like yours, it may have an active sponsorship program. One honest caution: each of those ads is part of a labor market test for a specific position the employer is already sponsoring someone for. Treat them as a signal about the employer, then look for its regular openings.

Which companies are blocked from PERM right now?

Two kinds of limits are worth checking before you rely on an employer’s sponsorship.

The October 2026 suspension. On October 8, 2026, the administration announced that DOL would not accept new PERM applications from, or process pending applications for, eight companies:

• Microsoft
• Adobe
• Cognizant
• Infosys
• Tata Consultancy Services
• Wipro
• HCL
• Capgemini

Officials cited alleged fraud and federal investigations. Because EB-3 sponsorship almost always depends on PERM, these companies cannot currently move PERM-based EB-3 cases forward. As of reporting through October 21, 2026, no end date or reinstatement process had been announced. This is about the companies’ PERM access, not a finding about any individual employee. Our analysis of the PERM suspension covers what affected employees can consider. PERM continues for all other employers.

The debarment list. DOL also links a program debarment list from its FLAG website. It is worth checking any prospective sponsor against it.

Red flags in EB-3 sponsorship offers

Be careful with any offer that includes:

• A fee to "buy" a job offer or a labor certification. Under 20 CFR 656.12(a), labor certifications are not articles of commerce and may not be sold, bartered, or purchased.
• A request that you repay the employer’s PERM legal fees, or accept a wage cut to cover them.
• A promise of a guaranteed green card or a guaranteed timeline. No employer or lawyer controls DOL’s or USCIS’s decisions.
• A temporary or seasonal job described as EB-3 eligible.
• A sponsor with no real US location or that will not name the actual worksite.

If something feels off, get independent advice before signing or paying anything. You are allowed to hire your own attorney.

What should you expect on timing?

EB-3 takes time at every stage. DOL’s processing times page showed, as of 10/05/2026, analysts reviewing PERM applications filed in January 2026, with decided cases averaging 336 days, and the wage request stage adds a little over three months before that. After PERM comes the I-140, then the wait for your priority date in the Visa Bulletin, which depends on your country of birth and EB-3 group. Our PERM timelines guide walks through each stage.

How an Ellis Porter attorney can help

For employers, we help decide when PERM is the right starting point, choose between EB-2 and EB-3, and run a clean, documented process. For workers, we can review a sponsorship offer, explain what the employer is committing to, and assess whether you might qualify for a path that does not need a sponsor at all, such as a self-petition green card. Learn more about our employment-based immigration practice.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Employer sponsorship decisions, DOL data, and processing times change. Confirm current details with the Department of Labor and USCIS, and consult a licensed immigration attorney.

Frequently asked questions