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E-3 Visa Classification

Visa Application and Entry to the United States

Detailed information for each Duke Sponsored visa category can be found on our Visa Application and Entry into the United States webpage.

Overview

Duke Visa Services (DVS) designed this information to provide the Duke community a very short overview of the O-1 category. Duke Administrators interested in pursuing this category for international employees should contact their Visa Services Department Liaison.

The E-3 visa category applies only to citizens (not permanent residents) of Australia entering the U.S. in a “specialty occupation”. A “specialty occupation” means an occupation that requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge considered to be equivalent to the attainment of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent, in a specific field. Jobs which have a minimum hiring requirement of a U.S. Bachelor's degree, or foreign equivalent, in a specific field generally qualify for the E-3 classification. The potential employee must meet all the minimum hiring requirements of the position, including the degree(s) in the appropriate field, license, etc., and must prove with an equivalency evaluation that any foreign degree is equivalent to the required U.S. degree.

The E-3 classification can be requested initially for 2 years and extended in increments up to 2 years. The E-3 has an annual limit or "cap" set by Congress of 10,500 applications with applies to all principal E-3 nonimmigrants. This cap may affect whether an employer can obtain E-3 status for an employee.

Dependents

E-3 Dependent spouses are allowed to work within the U.S. To apply for employment authorization, a spouse must file a Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization. All dependents are permitted to study. The E-3 dependent status must be the same as the E-3 principal.

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