Thursday, 22 May 2014

Potential new benefits for E-3 visa holders in the US

6 May 2014

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule that will provide some added benefits for E-3 visa holders.

What is an E-3 Visa?

It is a special category available only to Australian citizens

There are two basic requirements;  (1) job offer from a US company to work in a professional role; and (2) must hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or the work experience equivalent.

The proposed new changes to the E-3 category include:

1. E-3 visa added to the list of visa classifications that authorise classes of aliens authorised for employment status with a specific employer. The benefit of this new change would end hassles that E-3 visa holders sometimes encounter when trying to obtain US benefits such as a Social Security Number or a driver’s license

2. Add the E-3 visa to the list of work visas that are automatically granted up to 240 days of continued work authorization beyond the expiry of status while an extension request is pending.  The benefit of this change means there would be less pressure to file the extension request months before the expiry of status.

We will continue to monitor the proposed new rule and will advise of any changes once they become available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.


If you have any questions about these changes or US immigration, please contact our specialist US immigration team.

1 comment:

  1. Has this change been approved yet or is it still pending?

    ReplyDelete