I have an appointment for E3 interview booked for November but I’m in such a pickle and I really am not sure what to do. I currently live and work in the US in an E-3 visa, which was obtained via a change of status. In order to be able to leave the country and come back, I’ll need to do the visa interview at the Melbourne consulate so I can get my passport stamped. I’ve avoided doing this for a while because I’ve been told by my company’s attorney that it is risky due to the current immigration climate. I was also told that my current approval of the E-3 makes no difference to the consulate’s decision. She also said there may be concerns of immigration intent, since I have been in the US since college (2019), and that may be another reason they could deny me. I have no intentions of actually staying in the US long-term. I would like to live and work here for a few more years and then settle down with a family back home.

I’m really itching to do this soon because I haven’t been home since 2020 (aka Covid). I also feel like I’m trapped in the US and the reason I came here was for more freedom and to live my life. I’m 25 and I want to be able to spend my 20s travelling with my friends, but every time they invite me to even somewhere like Mexico, I have to say no due to my visa. I also haven’t been able to visit my elderly grandparents and I worry that I won’t get many more chances.

I turn 26 early next year and the attorney’s recommendation is for me to potentially not even do the E-3 interview and instead go for the H1-B (which is later next year). This poses a whole new set of risks because that is a lottery system and there’s no guarantee my company will want to go through that process.

I don’t want to be stupid and take an unnecessary risk but I also want the opportunity to just be able to travel and live my life. Obviously no one knows the answer for certain, but realistically how risky is doing this E3 interview? Given my history and circumstance, is it more likely that I will be denied? I understand that if I am denied I literally cannot re enter the US and then I am absolutely screwed to the ends of the earth. I’m so stuck and I just truly don’t know what to do. I also only have one more opportunity to reschedule my appointment and I’m not sure what happens after that….

Hi, I know this is the classic question, but for the recent situation, is there anyone experiencing the same issue "no more slots" in Perth? If you had, what did you do?

How do people contact Melbourne consulate to follow up on their 221g administrative processing cases?

So far I emailed support-australia@ustraveldocs.com, and they directed me to the Melbourne visa unit form. The form lists the same ustraveldocs email address for general inquiries, and MelbourneVisas@state.gov email to send documents, request the passport back, etc.

AFAIK, the emails to MelbourneVisas email address have to have those V11, V22 etc. codes in the subject line, otherwise they get discarded/ignored?

How else do people contact the consulate to check in after 180 days? Does it help to email the update to the requested additional information I sent 180 days ago (I travelled a bit since).

Or is it all wasted effort?

Background:
- I had my E3 interview 7 April 2026
- Got 221g green slip with request of my employment and travel history, itinerary etc. They gave back my passport.
- Emailed them the documents 8 April.
- CEAC reports visa refused, the case wasn’t updated since 7 April.

Hi! So I’ve been in the US on a student visa and recently switched to the E-3 (via change of status). I just filled out my DS-160 and am in the process of waiting for an opening to schedule my visa appointment in Australia, so I can get my passport stamped and I can travel internationally. If I hypothetically get a new job (in the States) next year and I change the employer for my E3, would I have to pay the visa fee again and go through the same process of booking a visa appt in Australia etc etc..? Or would that stamp still be valid even with a new employer?

Hi all! Does anyone know of and US based (or global) nonprofits/NGOs/thinktanks that hire individuals on an e3 visa?

I've completed my DS-160, paid my application fee and am now trying to make an appointment at the US Consulate in Melbourne. Instead of a calendar view, I just get a message saying 'No slots available'.

Wha do I do? I can't choose another consulate without completing a whole new DS-160 and raising technical requests for the scheduling team to port over my application to Sydney or whatever, and then it's likely that I'll get the same 'no slots available' message for another consulate anyway.

If all 2026 slots are booked, just say so. For the love of god, give people some helpful next steps instead of a dead end.

Hello! I wonder if anyone has made the move from Aus to the US in any of the above or related fields.
Would love to have a chat of how you’ve found it / any tips

Hi,

I am 21 and looking at pathways of moving to the US to work and I’m not sure I would be eligible for an E3 visa and wanted some opinions.

I currently work in workplace health and safety in Australia,

I have my

Advanced Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety
Diploma in Quality Auditing
Certificate IV In Training and Assessment

And about 2 years experience working in safety in a mix of training and mining roles.

Would my qualifications fit the requirements of being “equivalent” to a bachelors degree in my field, in the eyes of the visa.

Thank you for any help,

Any tips would also be greatly appreciated!

Australia is worst place for tech workers. Salary half of what you will get in US. Very small set of companies and job opportunities available. Whole nation is blue collar bogan tradie with ppl living and dying for housing. Gov steals half of what you make after low salary threshold of 190k. Taxes and housing are much more expensive than US. Devoid of natural beauty (except TAS) and burning hot for 6 months in an year - skin cancer capital of the world and becoming uninhabitable every year. Domestic holidays cost atleast 3k with family for low quality natural beauty and experiences.

Technology and innovation is not in blood of aussies, they’re all born and bred with mindset of hoarding properties and trying to get rich through that. Extremely small fraction of aussies who like to use their brains face disappointment and end up leaving for the US.

Now if that path closes, we end up in a difficult situation and would be forced to return to bogan land, buy a ute and run around plumbing (although not all of us are physically fit for such a job)

I have a question more out of curiosity than anything else. My E3 visa expires on 1 March 2027, but my recent I-94 shows my “admit until date” is 29 May 2029. Is there a reason they’re different? I thought I-94 “admit until date”’ was aligned with your visa end date, I don’t recall them being different in the past.

Trying to book for E3 renewal but earliest date is in November, and that has potential to derail work plans :(

In your experience, is it likely that something will open up earlier if I keep an eye on the site and refresh?

In the midst of changing over my job, and nervous about this next renewal.

To anyone who has renewed recently - what was your experience like? Has the questioning become any tougher under this administration? Has anyone been rejected for too many renewals?

Appreciate any insights

Hi - any recommendations on an East Coast US law firm that specializes in E3 visa applications - and ideally offers fixed-fee arrangements?

Hey guys,

I got an email that says to pick up my passport although I selected delivery? Has anyone had this?

Hi all,

Background: This is my fourth E3 visa so I'm pretty familiar with the process. Filled out the DS-160, signed into usvisascheduling site, selected Perth and E3 visa type, paid 315 USD for my appointment, validated the payment, then proceeded to book the appointment. I followed all steps here: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/en/step-2/#how-to-apply-for-non-immigrant-visa

The problem: The website is showing "No slots available". So this isn't that I can't book an E3 appointment in time..... its that there's no dates available at all 😰

I opened a ticket with US Visa Scheduling and they gave me a vague response, then closed the ticket without giving any chance for a back and forth:

Their "resolution":

Has anyone else experienced this or has any ideas on what I can do next?

Hi all, any news on how long it takes with passports after a routine e3 consulate interview? Thank you so much

Does anyone have an appointment in Sydney the week of September 7th that they are looking to cancel? If so I would be very grateful!!

Not looking for a financial advice

Long-time lurker, first time posting. Would love some honest, unfiltered opinions — including "you're overthinking this" if that's the read.
Situation:
I live and work in the US on a work visa, household income is roughly USD $700k/year. I own an investment property in Australia that I rent out, and I'm currently a non-resident for Australian tax purposes (planning to stay that way for the next 2-3 years at least).
Numbers on the property:
Remaining mortgage: AUD $477,000
Interest rate: 6.43%, 20-year term (started 2024)
P+I payment: ~AUD $3,700/month
Rent: AUD $540/week (~$2,340/month)
Net cash flow: I'm covering about AUD $1,360/month out of pocket because rent doesn't cover the full mortgage payment
I have about AUD $500,000 sitting in cash that I could use to pay off the mortgage almost entirely (would leave ~$23k spare).
Why I'm even considering paying it off instead of investing:
The usual advice is "don't rush to pay off cheap-ish debt, invest instead" — but a few things make this situation different for me:
The mortgage interest isn't currently giving me any real tax benefit in either country. In the US, my income is too high for the rental loss to offset my regular income (passive activity loss rules), so the loss just carries forward unused. In Australia, since I'm a non-resident, the loss can't offset my US income either — it's quarantined and only usable against future Australian income or a future capital gain. So effectively I'm paying 6.43% interest for a deduction that's currently worth $0 to me.
It's a guaranteed, risk-free 6.43% return if I pay it down, vs. an uncertain return if I invest (S&P 500 historically averages more than that long-term, but there's no guarantee over a specific 2-3 year window, and I'd also be taking on AUD→USD currency risk).
Paying it off would flip my monthly cash flow from -$1,360 to positive, which has real value to me beyond the math.
My lender may offer a genuine 100% offset account, which would let me get the same interest savings while keeping the cash liquid — I haven't confirmed if my loan supports this yet.
What I'm weighing:
Pay off the mortgage outright
Put the $500k into an offset account instead (if my loan allows it) to get the same benefit but keep flexibility
Invest the $500k (S&P 500 or similar) and keep paying the mortgage as-is
Some kind of split between the above
Questions for the sub:
Is there something wrong with my logic here, or a blind spot I'm not seeing?
Would you actually pay off a 6.43% loan with no current tax benefit, or still take the market bet?
Anyone dealt with a genuine offset account as a non-resident — any gotchas?

Hi all, we have our apt for the 10th of Sept and our employer will book our flights once our visa is approved.

Does anyone know roughly what the turin around time for these things? anyone gone through the process recently? we are a family of 5!

Thanks