Interviewing EB-3 Visa Candidates: The Employer Guide

Updated October 29, 2026

The EB-3 Visa Process, Step by Step: Part 4 of 9

After local recruitment, the employer chooses the foreign workers it wants to sponsor for the openings U.S. workers didn’t fill.

With EB3.work, candidates are screened and interviewed by the EB3.work Talent Team first, and the employer then meets 10 to 20 pre-screened candidates on a single Zoom call and picks who to hire.

This guide walks through how EB3.work finds and screens EB-3 visa candidates, how the employer interview works, how selections are made and what happens after.

It’s the one step in the series that’s built around EB3.work’s own process rather than a government form.

Key facts about interviewing EB-3 visa candidates

• Candidates are screened before the employer meets them. Each one goes through a group pre-screen, including an English conversation check, and an individual interview with the EB3.work Talent Team.
• The employer meets candidates on one Zoom call. Usually 10 to 20 pre-screened candidates at a time, with resumes sent ahead of the call.
• The employer can ask anything it wants. Each candidate introduces themselves, and the employer asks its own questions.
• The employer makes the final choice. After the call, it tells EB3.work which candidates it selects, and each selected worker receives a job offer letter.
• Plan for some drop-off. In EB3.work’s experience, around 20% of selected workers leave the process because of life events, so employers often select a few more workers than they have openings.

How is this different from local recruitment?

This step is about choosing the foreign workers to sponsor, which is separate from the PERM recruitment of U.S. workers covered in Part 3.

Local recruitment tests whether U.S. workers are available, and every U.S. worker who applies is considered under the PERM rules, whatever happens at this step.

International worker recruitment fills only the openings that remain after local recruitment.

For example, if an employer has 20 openings and two qualified U.S. workers apply, those two openings go to the U.S. workers, and the employer selects foreign workers for the other 18.

What does EB3.work do before the employer gets involved?

EB3.work screens every candidate before they meet the employer, so the employer only spends time with people who are ready for the job and the process. The screening has three stages:

1. Application. Candidates apply to the employer’s posted job with a resume and a photo, then sign the EB3.work agreement.
2. Group pre-screen. Candidates join a group Zoom call with the EB3.work Talent Team, which includes an English conversation check. English is required for most positions.
3. Initial interview. Each candidate has a Zoom interview with the Talent Team that covers the program details, how the process works and whether they’re ready to begin.

Why does EB3.work screen candidates first?

The EB-3 visa process lasts many months, and it works best when workers know exactly what they’re signing up for.

Candidates who understand the job, the location and the timeline before they meet the employer are less likely to drop out later, and there are fewer surprises at the visa stage.

How does the employer interview work?

The employer interview is a single Zoom call with a group of pre-screened candidates. Here’s how it runs:

• Before the call, EB3.work sends the employer each candidate’s resume, so the employer can review them ahead of time.
• EB3.work schedules one Zoom call with the employer and usually 10 to 20 pre-screened candidates.
• Each candidate introduces themselves, including their name, where they’re from and their work background.
• The employer asks any questions it wants, about experience, availability, the job or anything else that matters for the role.

There’s no script the employer has to follow. It’s a chance to see each candidate, hear how they communicate and get a feel for who would fit the team.

How does the employer choose who to hire?

After the call, the employer tells EB3.work which candidates it selects. Because candidates are screened before the call, employers normally select every candidate they meet.

EB3.work then sends each selected worker the employer’s job offer letter to sign.

The letter describes the job being sponsored: the title, duties, worksite, wage and the full-time, permanent nature of the position, with a wage of at least the prevailing wage.

Candidates who aren’t selected are offered other options through EB3.work.

How many workers should I select?

Select at least as many workers as you have openings left after local recruitment, and usually a few more.

The process takes many months, and in EB3.work’s experience around 20% of selected workers drop out along the way because of life events.

The number of workers an employer can sponsor also depends on its finances, because it must show it can pay every sponsored worker the offered wage.

The EB3.work Employer Eligibility Calculator estimates how many workers you’re eligible to sponsor, based on your most recently filed tax return, number of employees, the position and its location.

What happens after the employer selects workers?

The signed offer letter opens each worker’s case.

From there, the worker’s information and documents, such as their work history, feed into the PERM application (Part 5) and Form I-140 (Part 6), which the employer files for each worker.

The job offer stays open throughout the process.

With EB3.work, the worker starts work for the employer once the green card is approved, so there’s no work or pay during the process itself.

Each selected worker is a separate beneficiary with their own case.

What the employer does at this step

• Review each candidate’s resume before the Zoom call.
• Prepare a few questions that matter for the role.
• Attend the Zoom call with the candidates.
• Decide who to select, including a few extra workers to allow for drop-off.
• Send your selections to EB3.work promptly after the call.

Frequently asked questions