E3 Requirements

[JLAWRO 0]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and recently looking at trying to move over to the US with my girlfriend who is from there.

The ideal pathway seems to be through the E3 visa. For context, I am a Medical Device Sales Representative with a 3 year bachelor degree in pre-medicine, health and science. Now my concern is that my degree is not 4 years but I am wondering if my sales experience is enough to account for qualification for this specialty occupation?

I have over 3 years experience in retail sales and almost 1 year in medical device sales. I will be starting to apply for sales roles at medical device companies in the US very soon as we would like to move over there in September 2021. 

With my background, is an E3 visa possible?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Boiler 45,795]

E3 for Australians.

 

I assume Australia is the same as UK in that we do an extra year compared to the US prior to Degree so Degree is 3 years.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

14 minutes ago, Boiler said:

E3 for Australians.

 

I assume Australia is the same as UK in that we do an extra year compared to the US prior to Degree so Degree is 3 years.

Hm, some ex-colonies have a system where actually a fourth “honours” year at uni is required to bring a 3-year bachelor up to the equivalent of either a 3-year UK degree or a 4-year US bachelor, I suspect Australia is one of these from the Australians I met while doing postgrad in the UK, at least my uni did not accept only a 3-year Aus bachelors for entry to masters. My home country has a similar system and honours is required for equivalence to a 4-year US bachelors too (per both colleges here and WES etc equivalency for employment). I recall WES gives a free non-official equivalency calculation, maybe OP can do that. Not familiar enough with E3 to know if a couple of years work experience would make it up, just commenting on my understanding of basic degree equivalence here.

 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by SusieQQQ

[Boiler 45,795]

A quick Google suggests you are right and needs to be Hons.

 

H1b and E3 are similar and you can substitute, not sure if it works for sales type jobs.

[SteveInBostonI130 3,471]

1 hour ago, JLAWRO said:

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and recently looking at trying to move over to the US with my girlfriend who is from there.

The ideal pathway seems to be through the E3 visa. For context, I am a Medical Device Sales Representative with a 3 year bachelor degree in pre-medicine, health and science. Now my concern is that my degree is not 4 years but I am wondering if my sales experience is enough to account for qualification for this specialty occupation?

I have over 3 years experience in retail sales and almost 1 year in medical device sales. I will be starting to apply for sales roles at medical device companies in the US very soon as we would like to move over there in September 2021. 

With my background, is an E3 visa possible?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Theoretically, yes.

 

However, I am not sure if "Medical Device Sales" qualifies under the requirement that  "The specialty occupation requires theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge"

 

Perhaps if you have specific knowledge of rare medical equipment that takes substantial training to understand in order to be an effective salesman?  If your knowledge and experiece is in general sales for generic medical devices, there are many others here in the US with that qualification.  My co-worker's wife, for example, who has 10+ years of experience in medical supply sales. 

 

 

EDIT:  It looks like you will need to seek an employer in the US with LCAs filed with the Department of Labor in order to get past the "specialty knowledge" hurdle:

 

https://flag.dol.gov/programs/lca

Edited March 10, 2021 by SteveInBostonI130
Added Info

[SteveInBostonI130 3,471]

P.S. It seems you cannot apply directly apply for an E3 visa.  Form "I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker", has to be filed for you by a US employer with an LCA first.  After that petitiion is approved, then you can apply for the E3.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/e-visas-e-1-e-2-and-e-3-for-temporary-workers

 

Quote

Applying From Outside the United States

E-3 visas

If we approve your Form I-129, we will forward a Form I-797, Notice of Action/Approval, to your employer, who should forward it to you.

Your next step is to apply for a U.S. visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, generally in your country of residence abroad. Please visit the Department of State’s Temporary Workers webpage for visa information, instructions on how to apply, and U.S. Embassy contact information.