The basics
What EB-3 is, and why nurses use Schedule A
EB-3 covers three worker subcategories: skilled workers, professionals, and other workers. Registered nurses generally file as EB-3 professionals. Because nursing has been designated a persistent U.S. shortage occupation under Schedule A, the employer can skip the standard PERM recruitment and prevailing-wage process and file the labor certification directly with the I-140 petition, which shortens the front end of an otherwise multi-year process.
Employer filing
PERM and Schedule A for nurses
For a Schedule A nurse case, the employer (through immigration counsel) prepares a Form ETA-9089 labor certification without the standard job-order and advertising steps, then files it together with Form I-140. The employer must still document the job offer, prevailing wage, and the nurse’s license and credential status.
1. Confirm the offer
A specific RN role, worksite, and prevailing wage determination that the employer is willing to sponsor.
2. File ETA-9089 and I-140
Employer’s counsel files the Schedule A labor certification alongside the I-140 immigrant petition.
3. Wait for a current priority date
Once the I-140 is approved, the nurse’s place in line is set by the priority date and country of birth.
Timelines
Priority dates and realistic timelines
The visa bulletin published monthly by the U.S. Department of State sets a "final action date" for each employment-based category, broken out by country of birth. Honestly: this cutoff moves and is not predictable. Nurses born in the Philippines or India have historically faced longer EB-3 backlogs than nurses born in most other countries, sometimes multiple years, while other countries have often been "current" (no backlog) for extended periods. Anyone quoting a fixed number of months for the full process, regardless of country, is oversimplifying it. Check the current visa bulletin directly rather than relying on a static estimate.
Costs
Typical costs, and who usually pays them
Costs vary by employer, state, immigration path, and counsel, so treat these as general ranges, not quotes. Federal rules restrict employers from shifting costs connected to the labor-certification process to the sponsored worker; responsibility for I-140, immigrant-visa, adjustment-of-status, credentialing, and legal fees depends on the fee and the arrangement. Get the complete fee split in writing and have qualified immigration counsel review it before signing.
