Coming to the U.S. and Subsequent Travel

A "visa" is a stamp on a page of your passport permitting you to travel to the border of the United States to ask an immigration officer for permission to enter the United States. Before you apply for the E-3 visa, ISO must file a Labor Condition Application, Form ETA 9035, with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Applicants for visas are interviewed by a U.S. consular officer. Consulates charge a fee for issuing the visa. Whenever possible, apply for the visa at a U.S. consulate in your home country. It is not possible to apply for a visa from within the U.S. The visa does not need to remain valid after you have entered the U.S. Your I-94 card, passport, and Labor Condition Application however, must remain valid at all times.

To apply for the E-3 visa, present the ETA-9035 Labor Condition Application, offer letter, passport, and any required U.S. licensure along with the visa application to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  Additional requirements may be found at the web site of the U.S. consulate where you will be applying for the visa.

Family members applying for E-3D dependent visas present to the consulate their passports and evidence of their relationship to you (marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificates for children).

Be prepared to present the following to an immigration officer when entering or re-entering the U.S. in E-3 status:

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of your expected stay.
• If entering the U.S. to begin E-3 status, bring a copy of your UW employment offer letter. If you are re-entering the U.S. to continue E-3 status, carry with you a letter from your UW employing department confirming that you are returning to continue employment in the position listed on the Labor Condition Application.
• Photocopies of the ETA 9035 Labor Condition Application. (Copies may be obtained from your host department or ISO.)
• Valid E-3 visa stamp. If the visa has expired, it may be extended by presenting the documents listed above to a U.S. embassy or consulate. For more information about the visa process, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate in the city where the application will be submitted. (A valid E-3 visa is not required for re-entry to the U.S. following a visit of less than 30 days in Canada or Mexico. This is called automatic visa revalidation. With automatic revalidation, your visa will be considered to be "extended" (and "converted" to the proper visa category if you previously changed status while in the U.S.) to the date of re-entry, eliminating the need to obtain a new visa at a U.S. consulate before that particular re-entry. Note: If you apply for a new visa while in contiguous territory (Canada or Mexico), you will not be able to return to the U.S. unless the visa is granted!)

Arrange to enter the U.S. no sooner than 10 days prior to the start date indicated on the Labor Condition Application.

• Always hand-carry your documents (you will not have access to your baggage until later) and be prepared to present them to an immigration officer at the airport. These documents will be returned to you.
• Upon entry into the U.S., you will be issued Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record. You will be asked to write your Seattle (residence) address on the I-94.
• The officer will stamp your I-94 and place this document in your passport.
• The officer will also take your fingerprints and photograph.
• If the officer cannot verify your information or if you do not have all the required documentation, you may be directed to an interview area referred to as "secondary inspection." Be patient and cooperative. If the officer has questions about your affiliation with the University of Washington, suggest that he or she contact ISO.
• Admission to the U.S. will be for the validity period of the visa. Occasionally, immigration officers annotate the I-94 with an additional ten-day “grace period.” We recommend that you ask the officer for those additional ten days.