E-3 Specialty Occupation Visa
 (Non-Immigrant Visa for Australians)

The E-3 visa is a new category of U.S. non-immigrant work visa, which is specifically designed for Australian nationals who plan to work in specialty occupations in the United States.

E3 visa details:

The E-3 specialty occupation visa is a temporary work visa available only to Citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, who will perform services in a “specialty occupation” in the United States. E-3 work visa is usually issued for two years at the time. The visa holder can renew his/her visa indefinitely in two-year increments. When the visa period ends, the individual has to leave the country.

Specialty Occupations:

The meaning of the term “specialty occupation” is same as the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act) definition of an H-1B specialty occupation. It refers to certain US jobs which require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge along with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution.

The specialty occupations include engineering, mathematics, architecture, social sciences, medicine and health, physical sciences, education, law, theology, business specialties, accounting and the arts.

To eligible for E-3 visas, the applicants must show that:

• they are Australian Citizens;
• they have the required academic or other qualifying certificates;
• they have lawful offer of employments in the U.S.;
• the positions they are coming to fill qualify as specialty occupation services;
• their stay in the U.S. will be temporary; and
• in certain cases, they have the necessary license or other official permission to perform in the specialty occupation.

For detailed information on visa eligibility information, see our E-3 Eligibility Requirements page.

Advantages of E-3 work visa:

E3 visa has several benefits over the other types of US working visas. The dependent family members (spouse and children) of an E-3 principal can also attain E-3 non-immigrant status, though they are not Australian Nationals. The dependents are entitled to E-3D visas (E-3 dependent visas). Further, an eligible dependent spouse of an E-3 nonimmigrant can apply for an employment authorization document (EAD), regardless of the dependent spouse's nationality.

Annual limits on E3 visa for Australians:

The E-3 visa classification is numerically limited each year. Generally, a maximum of 10,500 E-3 visas are issued annually. This limitation applies to all initial E-3 applications made overseas and to all change of status to E-3 applications made through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The dependents of principal E-3 applicants will not count against this annual limitation.

Change employers:

An E-3 status holder who seeks to change employers must file an application for an extension or apply for an E-3 visa at a U.S. consulate overseas. Aliens applying for a change to or extension of E-3 status will be eligible for Premium Processing once a notice has been published in the Federal Register that adds this category of nonimmigrant to those eligible for this service.

Remember: Though the E-3 visa classification involves specialty occupation employment, it is a separate classification from the H1B visa.

For a brief summary of the process, visit our E-3 Visa Process page that gives you specific steps to the E-B specialty occupation visa process.

Immspec.com Guarantee:

We at immspec.com, as part of all services, provide assistance in processing requirements for E-3 Australian specialty occupation workers and employment authorization for E-3 dependent spouses. Our services include;

• A complete review of all your personal circumstances.
• Recognition of important legal issues that may affect your application.
• Exact preparation of your E-3 application.
• Submission of your application to the proper government agencies.