aviezer

Annoying as it may be, nothing to worry about yet. It took 3 weeks for mine to arrive too (I think I also read some where
about other applicants waiting 3-4 weeks too).
Don't expect to get anything but voicemail... I tried to call, my employer tried to call, between us we must have tried 5-6 times, sometimes even the voicemail was full.
annoying as it is, just be patient it should arrive shortly.

bcsmyth

hi - I have read a few of these entries and they seem to all suggest that it takes 3-4 weeks to have the mail-in LCA approved, this is not true. You really need to stay on the heels of your lawyers because it is my understanding that statutorially the DOL needs to return your LCA within 1 week of recieving it, but that it usually takes only 1 day to process. Make sure that your lawyers are sending the original application to you via express mail AND ensure that they enclose a self-addressed express mail envelope when they submit the LCA - this will expedite the process considerably.

thesonofdad

I've done it so far without a lawyer...I sent the form in three weeks ago and got it back last night...Certified with a "C" prefix which is how the embassy told me that it needs to be done.

I went for the interview in Melbourne 2 weeks ago, with a job offer, proof of qualification and an ETA 9035E, they said that I qualify but that the ETA 9035E didn't suffice. So, now with the LCA I've received back from DoL everything should be fine..fingers crossed!

Hope that helps others looking to do the same.!

cafa123

As you have seen from my posts - everything will be fine now. Good luck.
Colin.

bcsmyth

Thanks, when you say you got the form with a 'C' prefix what do you mean? Does the number at the bottom left hand corner of the LCA (ETA 9035) pages have to begin with the letter 'C' - because on my LCA which I downloaded from the DOL website this number came pre-filled. Thanks

cafa123

If you read this tread it will become clear - however. Use the standard form and MAIL it to the DOL - DO NOT use the online E form! Annotate it as discussed. When it is sent back in the mail or by fax if toy lawyer is on the ball it will be certified with a reference that starts with a letter C. If it does not, then you are wasting your time goin to the consulate. The correct C syntax certified LCA takes about 2/3 weeks using snail mail.

Update - my partner recieved her E3, so now I'm going to the US consulate in Sydney next Tuesday to apply for a spouse E3. I'll let you know how it goes :-)

Colin.

thesonofdad

Yeah, yeah you're on the right track send that form that you downloaded off the web to DoL in DC. When they return it to you, you will be given an LCA Case number that is prefixed with a "C". Takes about three weeks - a previous poster alerted to the fact that it should only take a week for it to be certified, and he was right it does only take a week to be certified, but it takes a week for them to receive it and it then takes 'em another week to fax it out to you.

Kevin Keane

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

bcsmyth wrote:

    >
    >> Annoying as it may be, nothing to worry about yet. It took 3 weeks for
    >> mine to arrive too (I think I also read some where
    >> about other applicants waiting 3-4 weeks too).
    >> Don't expect to get anything but voicemail... I tried to call, my
    >> employer tried to call, between us we must have tried 5-6 times,
    >> sometimes even the voicemail was full.
    >> annoying as it is, just be patient it should arrive shortly.
    >
    > hi - I have read a few of these entries and they seem to all suggest
    > that it takes 3-4 weeks to have the mail-in LCA approved, this is not
    > true. You really need to stay on the heels of your lawyers because it is
    > my understanding that statutorially the DOL needs to return your LCA
    > within 1 week of recieving it, but that it usually takes only 1 day to
    > process.

It is true that according to the law, DOL must return your LCA within one
week. However, there is no way to enforce this law. What are you gonna do -
sue them? That takes months! Realistically, these mail-in LCAs have indeed
taken three to four weeks for a long time. It may have changed after
electronic filing was introduced, but in all honesty, I would still be
surprised about a one-day turnaround time. That turnaround time was true
for the old fax-in LCA system (which to my knowledge has been discontinued
and replaced with the Internet-based one).

    > Make sure that your lawyers are sending the original
    > application to you via express mail AND ensure that they enclose a self-
    > addressed express mail envelope when they submit the LCA - this will
    > expedite the process considerably.
    >

- --
Please visit my FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com before asking a question here.
It may answer your question. Remember, I am strictly a layperson without
any legal training. I encourage the reader to seek competent legal counsel
rather than relying on usenet newsgroups.
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bcsmyth

[QUOTE=Kevin Keane]-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

bcsmyth wrote:

    >
    >> Annoying as it may be, nothing to worry about yet. It took 3 weeks for
    >> mine to arrive too (I think I also read some where
    >> about other applicants waiting 3-4 weeks too).
    >> Don't expect to get anything but voicemail... I tried to call, my
    >> employer tried to call, between us we must have tried 5-6 times,
    >> sometimes even the voicemail was full.
    >> annoying as it is, just be patient it should arrive shortly.
    >
    > hi - I have read a few of these entries and they seem to all suggest
    > that it takes 3-4 weeks to have the mail-in LCA approved, this is not
    > true. You really need to stay on the heels of your lawyers because it is
    > my understanding that statutorially the DOL needs to return your LCA
    > within 1 week of recieving it, but that it usually takes only 1 day to
    > process.

It is true that according to the law, DOL must return your LCA within one
week. However, there is no way to enforce this law. What are you gonna do -
sue them? That takes months! Realistically, these mail-in LCAs have indeed
taken three to four weeks for a long time. It may have changed after
electronic filing was introduced, but in all honesty, I would still be
surprised about a one-day turnaround time. That turnaround time was true
for the old fax-in LCA system (which to my knowledge has been discontinued
and replaced with the Internet-based one).


Well - obviously I wasn't implying that you sue them, I think you're taking quite a strict interpretation of my post. I was simply stating that it should not take more than 3 weeks at the most to recieve your LCA back and also providing possible solutions to these lenghthy lead times, like enclosing a self addressed express envelope. All I know is that my lawyer did this when I applied for my first visa and it took less than two weeks to get the LCA back. It is a statute after all - while you would expect SOME LCAs to take longer, I think that rather than continually breaking the law and returning ALL the LCAs later than they were statutorially obliged the DoL would just change the law to make it 3-4 weeks. FYI - they do still offer a fax-back service as indicated in both the ETA form and on many of the prior posts on this forum, however as it has also been noted in this forum, in some cases (it seems to depend on the consulate official) the consulate will not accept a faxed copy.

ronnie3960

[QUOTE=bcsmyth] Guys
My employer filed my LCA 4 weeks ago. Today when they rang DOL about the status, they said it can take another 3 weeks. They said they have instructions from State Department to make average processing time 5 to 6 weeks till end of november (So that they can provide some more explicit instructions to US consulates about E-3 visas).After Nov and following years they will take normal time to process.

Ronnie

StuckinCA

Finally got ahold of the DOL office. They claim that they never received my LCA
Employer is going to resubmit, hope we'll get it back within 2 weeks this time.

OZAmy

Good luck! Please keep us updated.
I am on the same boat with you and stucked in CA.
I am wondering how you show the intention of return to Australia if one has stayed in US for a few years with no house back home. Thank you!

Glen Murphy

Just a quick update on this - after checking with my employer, it
seemed that other employees who had applied in Sydney days after I
applied in Melbourne had all received their visas relatively quickly.
After trying to enquire by phone and email (both useless) a fax was
sent and I received my visa the next day with the lawyer's fax in the
envelope.

To be honest, I was expecting a stack of papers (I seem to remember
seeing on the video in the waiting room at the consulate that you
needed to present a stack of papers), so when I just saw the fax and my
passport, I was prepared for disappointment.

thesonofdad

Just to keep spirits high - I received my E-3 visa this morning (It looks very nice ). On the intent to return home - Its an E visa, so you don't really need to. It is very easy!!!! You'll all be fine!

Flux

Hi,

As far as I know, a H1-B holder may eventually apply for greencards if he/she meets certain criteria after some period of time. Since the E-3 is for people to intend to leave the US, does that mean there is no direct route from an E-3 to a greencard? And if that's true, is it possible to change from an E-3 to a H1-B while keeping the same job?

And by applying for the DV lottery, would one be japodizing his/her chances of getting an E-3?

thanks in advance.