Hiring abroad: How the EB-3 visa might solve your industry's labor shortage

Despite recent waves of layoffs seeming to reverse the employment trends of the Great Resignation, many industries still face labor shortages. While the U.S. unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.7%,  some employers, especially those within manufacturing and service industries, may have to look abroad for the right talent. 

By 2023, the manufacturing industry is expected to have 2.1 million unfilled jobs, costing the U.S. $1 trillion, according to a study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute; the hospitality and restaurant industries are already burdened with 2 million unfilled jobs. And yet, there are at least hundreds of thousands of workers who want these jobs — they just aren't in the U.S., says Manuel Lievano, CEO of MCC USA, a recruitment company that specializes in connecting international talent with U.S. employers through the EB-3 immigrant visa program.

The EB-3 visa is intended for skilled workers who may not have enough education or quantified achievements to qualify for the EB-2 or EB-1 visa, the other types of employment-based immigrant visas offered by the U.S. Still, the EB-3 offers an employment-based permanent residence green card, given that the applicant has a sponsoring employer. 

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"Our mission is to help American companies with the labor shortages while allowing international workers like myself to improve their lives and obtain the American dream," says Lievano. "It's a win-win situation: foreign workers are getting their documents and American companies are getting very solid workers."

Lievano, who is from Bogotá, Colombia, understands it isn't easy to apply for visas, uproot one's life and jump the hurdles it takes to legally enter the U.S. However, he knows international workers are more than willing to try — but employers also have to be willing to go through the right processes to sponsor international talent. 

But in the face of constant labor shortages, Lievano questions whether companies in manufacturing and service industries will even have a choice.

"These labor shortages are not new, they just skyrocketed recently," he says. "But these types of jobs have always seen high turnover, because if a company across the street pays 50 cents more an hour, then people are going to go there. But most immigrant workers want to make a long-term commitment."

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Lievano notes that since permanent residents have to wait at least five years to apply for U.S. citizenship, they aren't as likely to leave their sponsoring employer. Ultimately, international workers want the protection and flexibility offered by a U.S. passport for not only themselves but their families, underlines Lievano. 

"We've seen almost zero turnover from the workers we connect companies with," he says. "We tell employers, 'Start right now. The sooner you take action, the sooner people are going to arrive.'"

It takes employers up to two years to file a PERM application and obtain a Labor Certification, documents that prove no other Americans are willing or qualified to fill open positions. The application itself requires employers to post job ads on the State Department of Labor website, at the work location and on the largest newspaper in the area, preferably with salary information. Employers should also run three ads on platforms like the radio, TV, local newspaper or their website. Ads have to run for at least 30 days, then there has to be a 30-day quiet period, where companies may begin accepting applications. 

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An employer cannot refuse to hire an American or green card holder that meets their qualifications, and hire an international worker instead. However, companies can hire an international worker in addition to a citizen or green card holder, or hire only international workers if no one else steps forward or meets the requirements. Once the hiring process is complete, the company files for a Labor Certification, which takes about six months before approval. Then the employer files for an I-140, the Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In about four to seven months, the international worker can then receive their Employment Authorization Document and a travel card, and be on their way to work in the U.S.

"The main challenge for companies is they don't know where to start," says Lievano. "That's why we help companies understand the process, so they can find the workers they need."

The process is grueling for immigrants too, but for Alfred Galindo, who received his green card a year ago through MCC, it was more than worth it. Galindo works as a school bus driver for Badger Bus in Madison, Wisconsin. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Galindo had been a teacher in his home country, but found that the opportunities and pay in Colombia could not sustain him or his family. 

"If you are over 35 years old, you are considered too old for many jobs in [Bogotá]," says Galindo. "No one will even check your resume. Seeing that my wife and children will face the same fate, I wanted to move to another country for better opportunities."

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Galindo applied for the EB-3 visa in September 2019 and was finally approved in April 2022. He admits the waiting was the hardest part for his family, not to mention the $345 application fee, the $1,140 I-485 Status Adjustment fee for green card approval and the $445 consular processing fee. 

Still, MCC guided Galindo to the right employer, who helped Galindo obtain his commercial driver's license in the States and get him started at work. He is now a full-time member of Badger Bus's training department, teaching the company's future drivers. Through raised awareness of the EB-3 visa, both Lievano and Galindo hope to see more success stories like this. 

"Through this process, I am very confident that I won't be removed from the country or have my family broken apart," says Galindo. "It was hard getting here, but everything was easier once I did. I'm very grateful to my company and Manuel."