Is there a special fee for E-3 visas?

The short answer has two halves. There is no E-3 counterpart to the surcharges Congress has layered onto H-1B petitions. But the consular application fee for E visas is set at its own, higher rate.

The visa application fee is higher for E visas. The Department of State charges the nonimmigrant visa application processing fee by tier. Non-petition-based categories are charged $185, expressly “except E.” Petition-based categories such as H, L, O, P, Q, and R are charged $205. The tier for the “E – Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty” category is $315, the highest of the ordinary nonimmigrant rates. The fee is non-refundable and is payable whether or not the visa is ultimately issued.

No issuance fee on top. Some categories also attract a reciprocity, or visa issuance, fee determined by the applicant’s nationality. The reciprocity schedule for Australia lists the E-3 with no such fee, for multiple entries and 24 months of validity, so the application fee is the only charge at the consular stage.

No H-1B-style surcharges. This is where the original answer still holds, and it matters far more in cash terms. The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act training fee of $1,500, or $750 for smaller employers, is confined to certain H-1B petitions (8 CFR 106.2(c)(4), referring to 8 CFR 214.2(h)(19)). The $500 fraud detection and prevention fee is confined to certain H-1B and L petitions (8 CFR 106.2(c)(5)). Neither reaches the E-3, and the fee regulations contain no E-3 equivalent of the additional charges imposed on certain large H-1B and L-1 petitioners.

USCIS fees arise only if a petition is filed. An Australian national applying at a consular post pays no USCIS fee at all. Where Form I-129 is filed instead — for a change of status, an extension of stay, or a change of employer — the filing fee for a petition or application in the E classifications is $1,015, reduced by half for small employers and nonprofits (8 CFR 106.2(a)(3)(viii) and (ix)). The Asylum Program Fee of $600 is also payable by a petitioner filing Form I-129, reduced to $300 for a small employer and waived for a nonprofit (8 CFR 106.2(a)(13)). Premium processing, if requested, adds $2,965 (8 CFR 106.4(c)(1)).

Family members. A spouse and children applying for dependent E-3 visas pay the same E-tier application fee, since the tier attaches to the visa category rather than to the principal. If they instead extend or change status within the United States, Form I-539 carries its own fee of $470 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(26)).

Figures are subject to change. Both the consular fee schedule and the USCIS fee schedule are revised from time to time, and the premium processing fee is subject to biennial inflation adjustment (8 CFR 106.4(d)). The published schedules should be confirmed before any filing or appointment.

Related questions in this section address the requirements for an E-3 visa, how long an E-3 visa is valid, and whether an E-3 visa can be renewed. The E-3 overview introduces the category. Questions about a specific case may be directed to the firm through the contact page.