sydtom

On the Canberra embassy E3 FAQs there is this note:

"All visa applicants must appear at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad [outside US] to apply, and first time E3 visa applicants will need to apply in Australia."

Is this correct? It seems that everything I'm reading says that you can apply at any consulate/embassy outside the US, regardless of it being your first time or not.

Have any first-timers been able to apply for their E3 in another country, say Canada. I'm hoping to search for a job and then travel somewhere nearby to apply for an E3 for the first time.

ian-mstm

I believe this is correct. You need to know, however, that no US Consulate outside Australia is obligated to process a "third party national" application.

Ian

sydtom

Sorry, just to clarify, you believe it's correct that first-timers can apply at any consulate, or the note on the Canberra site is correct - that first timers have to apply in Australia?

ian-mstm

Which part of your post did I quote in my response?

Ian

sydtom

In your experience Ian being an active member of this forum, have you heard of many first-time E3 applicants having trouble in Canada/Bermuda?

ian-mstm

I have not, no. Generally, the adjacent Consulates are accommodating... but they don't have to be. As long as you're prepared to return to Oz for processing if it doesn't work out for some reason, there's really nothing to lose!

Ian

lifehouse51

You can technically apply at any U.S. consulate for your first E-3. However, if you're applying in a country in which you are not currently residing, the consulate may instruct you to go back and apply in the country that you're living in. With that said, it's my general feeling that people have had no problem applying in Canada for their first E-3 even though they're not living there. You may also want to look into the visa appointment waiting time in Canada...the U.S. consulates in Canada tend to have long waiting time for non-Canadian residents.

augigi

I just got my new E3 (different position from my previous ones, but same employer) in Toronto. They didn't ask many questions and didn't look at any paperwork except the LCA. There were various other people I spoke to at the Consulate who were applying for new E3s.