Australian Professionals can enter U.S. easily with E-3 Visa
07/08/08

Are you an Architect, Computer Programmer, Teacher, Dentist, Scientist, Engineer, or Health Care Professional in the Land Down Under? Want to work in the States on a temporary work visa? Well, you are in luck. Normally there are only 65,000 H-1B Visas issued per year.
However, Australian professionals can apply for an E-3 Visa, eliminating the need for the H-1B. It was the result of an amendment to the Iraq War Appropriations Bill of 2005 and specifically benefits Australian business professionals.
When you compare the H-1B to the E-3, you’ll wish you were an Aussie.

• Duration – H-1B typically can only be renewed for an additional 6 years. E-3 can be renewed as many times as you want.
• Fees – H-1B can cost a U.S. employer over $2,000. And to expedite it will cost an additional $1,000. While the E-3 also requires a LCA [Labor Condition Application] that can be gotten in one day’s time, it doesn’t require a petition which will save time and money.
• Timing – H1-B must be applied for during the 6 months before the person is hired. E-3 can be obtained anytime and it just takes days to process. Even with a maximum of 10,500 issued each year, it must be noted that there are only 21 million people in Australia.
• The Spouse – H-4 doesn’t allow the spouse to work in America. However, the E-3 spouse is granted an E-3D visa which allows them to work in the U.S.
• Visa Waiver – Aussies don’t need a visa if they come to the U.S. looking for work. Once they find the perfect job, they can go back home and apply for the E-3 visa. This is not the case with citizens of Europe, Japan or even Canada.
• The Catch – While all this sounds great, there are some advantages to the H-1B. For example, duel intent which means you can intend to leave the U.S. while also intending to stay permanently. Moreover, you can change your status. However, Aussies can apply for the H-1B and the E-3. The best of both worlds.

So, if you see a bunch of happy Australian professionals around the office, now you know why.