Background
Our client, Shirley, originally from China, moved to Australia as a child and went on to pursue a successful career in chemistry. She worked in medicinal research and development for a leading pharmaceutical company in Sydney. She primarily focuses on creating and improving over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin and Tylenol. Shirley has a strong academic background and over seven years of experience in this field, and she was offered the opportunity to move to the U.S. to work on a major clinical medical trial. She obtained an E-3 visa and moved to the U.S. to work on the trial. However, her visa was approaching expiration, and she was offered another part-time position on another clinical trial. This created a sense of urgency to secure her legal status while she contemplated expanding her employment opportunities.
Case
As she was an Australian resident, our team assessed that continuing her E-3 visa status was the best fit for Shirley. The E-3 visa is specifically designed for Australian citizens in specialty occupations, and there is no cap on how many times you can renew. To ensure that Shirle could work at this second employer while maintaining her current role, we needed to file a concurrent E-3 visa. This was different than an E-3 extension, where concurrent filing allows E-3 visa holders to work for more than one employer at the same time, as long as each employer submits their own certified Labor Condition Application (LCA).
Our team quickly got to work, and considering the timeline of less than five months, we wanted to ensure that her legal status in the U.S. remained uninterrupted. Currently, there has been increased scrutiny under the residency requirements and in-person interviews for E-3 visas.
We had to put together a precise and quick petition, risking no chance of a denial. Within the petition, we included:
- An E-3 petition, which included the trade supplement
- Certified Labor Condition Application
- Documents to provide the job duties and wages
Verdict
After three months, USCIS approved the E-3 petition.
How VisaNation Helped
Our team guided our client through every step of the process, ensuring that all her needs were met regarding her employment and flexibility to transition to another employer. We understand that there are new changes being made to immigration policies every day, and that is where we come in to help. We monitor these new changes and ensure that your petition is filed in a manner to protect your immigration status.
If you have questions regarding a pending E-3 application or have general questions around an E-3 petition, contact us!
