alt Hacker NewsI'm Australian and have always wondered about how easy it is to get an E-3 visa. What does it take from the sponsoring companies side to actually do it and get me over there?
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Australian who's been in the USA almost a decade in 4 different roles, each requiring a new E3 as well as multiple E3 renewals;
I've found that companies are pretty eager once they hear that you only need an E3 visa. Unlike H1B the quota for E3 visas are never hit. Companies view it as a very straightforward and guaranteed process.
Assuming the company files their side of the paperwork in a timely manner, From accepting a role you can be working in the USA within 2 months end to end. The consulate appointments in Syd/Mel are the biggest pain point. It takes some refreshing since they are booked out for months at a time and you need to look for cancellations each day. That's literally the biggest pain point though, everything else is painless.
Anecdotally, the E-3 is very easy compared to other options
We handle a lot of E-3 visas and it's arguably the easiest U.S. work visa to get both from a company standpoint and an applicant/employee standpoint. The company requirements are minimal. For example, startups with limited or no revenue and limited or no funding can sponsor an E-3 visa. That being said, there is a prevailing wage requirement so a company - while it doesn't need to demonstrate to a U.S. Consulate its ability to pay a specific wage - in the end has to be able to pay a specific wage.