How Long Is the EB-3 Other Workers Wait? The October 2026 Visa Bulletin

In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, EB-3 Other Workers for people born in Vietnam (and most other countries) has a final action date of January 1, 2022 and a date for filing of June 1, 2022. That means this month only cases with a priority date before January 1, 2022 can get a visa or a green card approval. The priority date is usually the date the employer filed PERM. Before that date even exists, the case goes through the prevailing wage and recruitment steps, and PERM alone currently averages 336 days.

The Visa Bulletin changes every month. Figures below were checked October 19, 2026.

Key takeaways

• October 2026 final action date for Other Workers (Vietnam and most countries): January 1, 2022.
• PERM currently averages 336 days before Form I-140 can be filed.
• No one can predict the Visa Bulletin or lawfully skip the line.

Reading the Visa Bulletin if you were born in Vietnam

The priority date is the date the Department of Labor received the employer's PERM application. Vietnam has no column of its own, so people born there use "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed". From the October 2026 Visa Bulletin:

• Final Action Date: cases with a priority date before this date can be issued a visa (at a consulate) or have Form I-485 approved (in the U.S.).
• Date for Filing: cases with a priority date before this date can start submitting documents to the National Visa Center. For applicants in the U.S., USCIS says each month which chart to use for filing Form I-485.

Other Workers waits longer than Skilled Workers because it gets at most 10,000 numbers a year, per the Visa Bulletin.

What makes up the total time?

PERM and prevailing wage figures are from the Department of Labor's processing times page.

An example of how the math works (not a prediction for your case)

Say the employer files PERM on March 1, 2027; the priority date is March 1, 2027. The visa can be issued only once the Visa Bulletin moves the Other Workers final action date past March 1, 2027. In October 2026 that date sat at January 1, 2022. No one knows in advance whether the bulletin will move fast, slowly, stand still or move back.

So estimates like "4 to 6 years" are based on past movement. The real wait can be longer.

How to keep track

• Read each new Visa Bulletin on the State Department site: the "All Chargeability" column, the "Other Workers" row.
• If you're in the U.S., check USCIS's "Adjustment of Status Filing Charts" page to see which chart applies that month.
• Keep the documents that show your priority date (the PERM approval, the I-140 receipt).

Want to check your EB-3 eligibility?

See What Is EB-3 for Unskilled (Other) Workers?, EB-3 Costs: Who Pays What, or send your details on Manna One Solution's EB-3 page for a first review. Manna One Solution is not a law firm and does not guarantee timing or results; licensed immigration attorneys handle the legal work.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State: Visa Bulletin for October 2026 (checked October 19, 2026)
• U.S. Department of Labor, FLAG: Processing Times (PERM as of October 5, 2026, prevailing wage as of September 30, 2026; checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS: Processing Times (checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS: EB-3 (checked October 19, 2026)