{"id":7527,"date":"2015-01-22T04:36:44","date_gmt":"2015-01-22T12:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/?page_id=7527"},"modified":"2018-04-02T22:43:17","modified_gmt":"2018-04-03T06:43:17","slug":"e3-an-alternative-to-h1b-for-australian-nationals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/284","title":{"rendered":"E3-An Alternative to H1B for Australian Nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>E-3 Visas Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The REAL ID Act of 2005 established a new non-immigrant visa category: \u201cReciprocal Visas for Nationals of Australia,\u201d otherwise known as \u201cE-3 Visas.\u201d There are 10,500 E-3 visas allotted annually to qualified individuals.<\/p>\n<p>Though the E-3 Visa is classified in the same category as E-1 (treaty trader) and E-2 (treaty investor) visas, E-3 visas share some similarities with H-1B Visas (workers in a specialty occupation). Therefore, the E-3 Visa can be understood as a slight hybrid between the two categories, and the E-3 visa has unique traits such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An E-3 candidate can work for any qualified U.S. employer \u2013 the hiring company does not have to be owned by Australian nationals;<\/li>\n<li>An individual in E-3 status can file for H-1B status; and<\/li>\n<li>An annual cap that is separate from the annual H-1B cap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Visa Options<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWSKhRBoOLQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<strong>E-3 Visas are further explained below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>E-3 Visa Requirements and Filing Procedure<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Only Australian nationals qualify for E-3 Visas. The individual must be entering to the U.S. to engage in a \u201cspecialty occupation\u201d (as defined by INA \u00a7 214(i)(1)).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To apply, an individual should apply directly for a visa at the local U.S. consulate; no prior USCIS approval is needed. There, the individual will have to present evidence supporting their E-3 application, including:<\/li>\n<li>Proof of Australian nationality;<\/li>\n<li>The individual will depart once their E-3 status expires (if the individual does not file for an extension);<\/li>\n<li>Evidence that the individual is coming to America to engage in a \u201cspecialty occupation\u201d (as defined by INA \u00a7 214(i)(7));<\/li>\n<li>An employer\u2019s signed copy of a Labor Condition Attestation that is certified by the Department of Labor;<\/li>\n<li>Documentation illustrating that the E-3 candidate shall be paid actual or prevailing wages that satisfy statutory requirements;<\/li>\n<li>The individual\u2019s personal credentials that qualifies the individual for a \u201cspecialty occupation\u201d, including academic background, specialized training, relevant job experience, and letters of recommendation; and<\/li>\n<li>An E-3 visa number assigned to the individual under INA \u00a7 214(g)(11)(B).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is critical that an E-3 candidate presents a comprehensive, compelling case of why he or she qualifies for a \u201cspecialty occupation.\u201d Generally, E-3 classifications are valid for two 2 years, unless the Labor Condition Attestation expires before that period. Though E-3 Visas use the same \u201cspecialty occupation\u201d standard as H-1B visas, E-3 visa candidates are not subject to the annual H-1B caps or surcharges.<\/p>\n<p>An E-3 candidate\u2019s spouse and children also qualify for E-3 classification. Unlike the primary E-3 applicant, note that the E-3 candidate\u2019s spouse and children do not have to be Australian nationals, nor are they subject to the annual E-3 cap. Finally, the E-3 candidate\u2019s spouse may also apply for U.S. work authorization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>E-3 Visas Overview The REAL ID Act of 2005 established a new non-immigrant visa category: \u201cReciprocal Visas for Nationals of Australia,\u201d otherwise known as \u201cE-3 Visas.\u201d There are 10,500 E-3 visas allotted annually to qualified individuals. Though the E-3 Visa is classified in the same category as E-1 (treaty trader) and E-2 (treaty investor) visas,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7527","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","page-entry","loop-entry clr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7527"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8884,"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7527\/revisions\/8884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peerallylaw.com\/en\/content\/view\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}