2025 is the year when the US immigration system is standing on the edge of approving the most crucial reformation in decades. We are talking about the newly introduced mandate, the Dignity Act of 2025. It is primarily a bipartisan legislative proposal that is gaining momentum, highly likely to pose implications on the future status of employment-based immigration, particularly in the EB-3 visa category.
If approved, this legislation will double the number of available EB-3 visas, contributing to renewed expectations for thousands of professional, skilled, and unskilled workers listed on the waitlist to obtain permanent residency.
With that, this is a guide breaking down the Dignity Act proposal and its effect in reshaping the EB-3 program, and the future green card applicants.
What is the EB-3 Visa, and its importance?
The EB-3 visa technically stands for Employment-Based Third Preference Visa and is one of the prominent methods for foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency in the US via suitable employment. As such, it has three subcategories:
- Professionals: These are individuals having a US baccalaureate degree or a foreign equivalent.
- Skilled workers: This category of people includes those who have at least two years of job training or experience.
- Unskilled workers or others: This category includes those individuals who perform unskilled labor work requiring work experience or training below two years.
The EB-3 visa stands out due to its status to provide relatively-convenient access to green cards than any other EB visa category, especially for those countries with a long list of applicant backlogs. The EB-3 program addresses labor shortages across multiple sectors like hospitality, agriculture, construction, and healthcare.
However, this program is still unable to provide services as promised due to excessively long wait times despite its utility. The scenario is even worse for applicants from high-demand nations like the Philippines, China, and India.
The Dignity Act of 2025
The Dignity Act of 2025 is an exhaustive immigration reform bill proposed by Representatives Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Maria Elvia Salazar (R-FL). This proposal seeks to build a humane approach to undocumented immigrants and a measured approach to immigration by merging improved border security with expanded legal immigration pathways.
While the Act itself openly focuses on various critical aspects of immigration, some specific provisions targeting EB immigration have drawn immeasurable attention, especially the mandate to exempt spouses and minor children from annual visa caps of EB visa holders.
In the current scenario, every EB visa issued primarily adds any accompanying dependents to the yearly numerical threshold. However, this inclusion considerably takes up the available visas of the deserving principal applicants, the individuals or actual skilled workers who would be filling the job on site. As per the immigration advocates, in a fiscal year, only the dependents account for about 40-60% of total issuable visas.
So, by the intend of the Dignity Act, removing the dependents from the visa cap would twice the number of available EB-3 visas issued to actual workers, effectively altering the course of events for thousands of long visa backlogs.
Key provisions of the Act affecting EB-3 Green Card applicants
The EB-3 Green Card category is specially reserved for professionals, skilled workers, and other unskilled workers who qualify for the pre-set requirements.
Dependent exemption from visa caps
The Dignity Act, through its provisions seek to remove spouses and children from the annual EB green card visa caps. This act would allow the principal applicants to gain access to the limited annual visa caps, likely minimizing the wait times for thousands of EB-3 applicants.
Increased per-country caps
One of the provisions of the bill also states to increase the per-country green card cap to 15% from the initial 7%. This raise would shed light on the incredibly long wait times for primary applicants from China and India, and also drive equitable access to EB-3 green card jobs.
Visa recapture mechanism
The Act also proposes a very particular mechanism to reclaim unused visas from past years, which would likely increase the available EB-3 visas for actual eligible applicants.
Legislative outlook: Will the Dignity Act turn into a Law?
The Dignity Act of 2025 paints a comprehensive and bold vision for immigration reformation. However, its legislative route is not yet pledged.
Current status:
- Introduced in early 2025, this bill holds bipartisan sponsorship.
- According to several analysts, the Dignity Act has a 30-40% scope of approval by the House of Representatives, depending on the existing political climate and future election cycles.
- For ages, immigration has been a defining issue, making the Senate a wildcard participant.
Timeline implications:
If by any major possibility, the bill is to gain traction, a part of it could still be passed as standalone measures or may also be merged into a more inclusive package, especially the non-controversial provisions regarding dependent exemptions and visa recapture.
If the bill is passed by late 2025 or early 2026, the revisions could potentially take effect within the next 6 to 12 months, subject to administrative processing by varied agencies like the Department of State and the USCIS.
Impact on current and future applicants
The Dignity Act will have different implications on current and prospective applicants of the EB-3 visa if passed.
For current applicants:
If you have already applied and are waiting for a priority date for your EB-3 visa, the Act could speed up your timeline significantly, meaning:
- Early priority date in the Visa Bulletin.
- Higher chances of obtaining green cards.
- Lowered chances of decline for high-demand countries.
For prospective applicants:
If you have just begun your EB-3 visa application or are thinking of applying, now is the time. In case the Act passes, the increased available visas will form a window of opportunity for new applicants. So, if you are seeking EB-3 green card jobs, start:
- Gathering essential documents, like education credentials, employment history, etc.
- Consult with certified representatives or immigration lawyers.
- Find legitimate US employers who will sponsor you under the EB-3 program.
During the process, ensure to stay away from suspicious agents or scams that promise a guaranteed green card job only on the idea of speculative legislation.
Last words
The Dignity Act of 2025 promises a well-deserved future for EB immigrants, especially under the EB-3 visa category. The Bill could potentially ease access to green cards with reduced long-standing wait times. So, for those seeking EB-3 green card jobs, be informed, prepare strategically, and work only with trusted immigration professionals.
