"Hello, Joe, 

I would like to let you know that I just received my green card today.  Thank you and your team for all the work and support you have provided. 

Attorney Jian Joe Zhou Comments: PERM approved with the educational requirement of a master degree.  Filed I-140 in EB-2 category and received an approval. Later, we filed I-140 EB-3 for the client by using the same approved PERM in order to receive the benefit of the short waiting period for EB-3 visa number for the alien’s country.  I-140 EB-3 petition received a smooth approval.  I-485 filed based on the EB-3 was approved within 9 months. 

Legal Pointers: An approved PERM with a requirement of a master degree (or with a requirement of a bachelor degree plus five years  of experience is qualified for either EB-2 or EB-3 category.  In fact, the petitioner employer can file both EB-2 and EB-3 petitions petitioned based on the same approved  PERM.  In practice, they should  be filed one at a time.  So long the first I-140 petition was filed within the PERM approve valid filing period,  the second I-140 can be filed anytime later,  even beyond the PERM approved valid period.   An PERM  approval notice is assigned an 180 day valid period.