How to Book Your E3 Visa Appointment in Australia

Your E-3 visa appointment is booked through US Visa Scheduling, the U.S. government's scheduling portal for nonimmigrant visa interviews in Australia. There are three consulates that process E-3 applications: Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Each one has different wait times and availability.

This guide covers the full booking process, current E-3 visa appointment wait times by consulate, strategies for getting an earlier slot, rescheduling rules, and what to expect after your interview.

What you need before booking your E3 visa appointment

Before you can access the appointment calendar on US Visa Scheduling, you'll need three things in place:

MRV fee ($315 USD): This is the Machine Readable Visa fee, and it needs to be paid before you can see available appointment slots. It's non-refundable and valid for 365 days from payment, which means you need to have a confirmed booking within that window. The interview itself can fall after the 365-day mark, but the appointment needs to be scheduled before the fee expires.

DS-160: This is the online nonimmigrant visa application, completed at ceac.state.gov. You don't need an approved LCA to submit it. If your LCA is still pending, contact the United States Embassy and Consulates in Australia (+61 2 7908 7456) to ask whether you can proceed with booking an appointment. Processes may vary, and it's best to confirm directly. Don't attend the interview with documents for an employer you're no longer joining. For a step-by-step walkthrough of filling it out, see our DS-160 guide for E-3 applicants.

LCA (Labor Condition Application): Your employer files this with the U.S. Department of Labor. Certification typically takes around seven business days. You can start the DS-160 and book your appointment before it's approved.

Booking your E-3 visa appointment follows a specific sequence through the US Visa Scheduling portal.

How to book an E3 visa appointment

Step 1: Create your US Visa Scheduling account

Go to usvisascheduling.com and create an account. Select Australia as your country. You'll need a valid email address, your passport number, and a phone number for verification.

Step 2: Pay the MRV fee

The MRV fee is $315 USD per person (as of February 2026). Dependents applying for E-3D visas each need to pay separately. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Step 3: Complete the DS-160

Fill out the DS-160 at ceac.state.gov. You'll need your LCA case number, but if your LCA hasn't been approved yet, enter "000" as a placeholder. You can update it later by calling US Visa Scheduling support on +61 2 7908 7456 with your new DS-160 confirmation number and the certified LCA number.

Step 4: Book your appointment

Once your MRV fee is paid and your DS-160 is submitted, log back into US Visa Scheduling and select an appointment slot at Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth.

It's worth booking the first available slot immediately, even if it's months away. A confirmed appointment gives you a safety net as you can always reschedule to an earlier date later. Waiting risks losing access to earlier slots if wait times increase.

Step 5: Attend your interview

You'll need to bring the following to your appointment:

• DS-160 confirmation page (with barcode)
• MRV fee receipt
• Valid passport (with at least six months' validity beyond your intended U.S. stay)
• Certified LCA (printed copy of the electronically certified form)
• Employer offer letter or support letter
• Evidence of qualifications (degree, transcripts, credential evaluation if applicable)
• Any supporting documents relevant to your specialty occupation

For a full breakdown of what to expect at the consulate, including common interview questions and how long it takes, see our E-3 visa interview prep guide.

E3 visa appointment wait times by Australian consulate

The U.S. State Department doesn't publish E-3 visa wait times as a separate category. On the official wait times page, E-3 appointments fall under "petition-based/other" alongside all other non-tourist visa types. The wait times referenced here are based on historical patterns and community-reported data. As times shift week to week, check current availability through our E-3 visa appointment calendar.

E-3 visa wait times in Australia have historically been volatile. When Sydney closed for an extended period in 2022, Melbourne absorbed the entire east coast and created multi-month backlogs. The rollback of interview waivers from September 2025 has pushed more applicants back into the in-person queue at all three consulates, adding further pressure on available slots. Book as early as possible and monitor for earlier cancellations

Which Australian consulate should you choose for your E3 visa?

When choosing a consulate, it's worth considering the current wait time at each location, the cost of travel and accommodation if you're applying interstate, courier transit time for passport return if you're away from home, and how close your U.S. start date is.

Is it worth flying to Perth for an earlier E-3 appointment?

If you're on the east coast with a tight start date, it's worth weighing the cost of a return flight against the value of starting your U.S. role weeks earlier. For many applicants, particularly those with imminent start dates or time-sensitive employer deadlines, the travel cost is justified.

How to get an earlier E3 visa appointment

Check availability across all three consulates

The fastest way to find an earlier appointment is to compare availability across Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth at the same time. Migrate Mate's E-3 visa appointment calendar monitors the U.S. consulate booking systems and displays current availability in real time, so you can see all open dates at a glance rather than manually refreshing US Visa Scheduling.

Beyond that, these strategies consistently help applicants move their dates forward.

Book the first available slot immediately

Even if it's three or four months away, a confirmed appointment gives you a fallback. From that point, you're working to move the date forward rather than starting from zero.

Check for cancellations at off-peak times

Appointment slots open up regularly as other applicants cancel or reschedule. Early morning (around 7–8am AEST) and late evening (around 9–10pm AEST) tend to surface newly released slots before they're claimed.

Request an expedited appointment for genuine urgent needs

Qualifying reasons include an imminent job start date, a medical emergency, or a family emergency. To request one, log into US Visa Scheduling, submit an expedited appointment request under "Expedite Appointment," and provide a clear explanation with supporting documentation. Responses typically come within one to two business days. If approved, you'll be given access to earlier appointment slots that aren't visible on the standard calendar.

How to reschedule your E3 visa appointment

Australia allows one free voluntary reschedule. A second voluntary change requires repaying the full MRV fee ($315 USD). If the consulate cancels your appointment, that doesn't count against your limit. Cancelling without rebooking in the same step also counts as your one free reschedule, so always select a new date during the cancellation process.

Given that one free reschedule limit, the most effective approach is to book the first available slot immediately, monitor the calendar daily for earlier openings, and use your free reschedule only when a slot meaningfully moves your date forward, not for a difference of a day or two. After that, treat your appointment as fixed unless an even earlier slot appears that justifies the $315 USD cost of a second reschedule.

2025 policy changes: third-country interviews and waivers

Third-country applications strongly discouraged for most Australians

Before September 2025, many E-3 holders living in the U.S. would travel to a third country to renew their visa without returning to Australia. As of September 6, 2025, the U.S. State Department requires nonimmigrant visa applicants to generally apply in their country of nationality or residence.

For most Australians, this means your E-3 visa interview needs to take place in Australia. Applicants who've attempted third-country applications after this date have reported being turned away at check-in, even at consulates that previously processed their applications without issue. The MRV fee is non-refundable in these cases.

How to track your E3 visa application after your interview

You can track your application status at ceac.state.gov using your DS-160 application ID. Statuses typically progress through Received, Administrative Processing, Issued, and Ready.

Administrative processing

If your application is placed in administrative processing, that's not a denial. It means the consular officer couldn't complete the adjudication at the window and the case requires further internal review. There are two types:

Document request: The notice will list specific items to submit. These cases can often be resolved within a few weeks of providing the requested materials.

Background review: This doesn't require any action from you. Timelines range from days to several months, and there's no reliable way to expedite the process.

You have one year from the date of the notice to respond before the case is closed.

If your application is denied

The officer will tell you at the end of the interview and return your passport. Most E-3 denials fall under INA Section 214(b), which means the officer wasn't satisfied that the role qualifies as a specialty occupation, that your degree matches the position, or that you demonstrated sufficient ties to Australia.

A 214(b) denial isn't permanent. You can address the issues raised and reapply. If you receive a 221(g) notice rather than a direct denial, that's a temporary hold pending additional information, not a final decision.

E3 visa passport return: pickup or delivery

At the time of booking, you'll have selected either in-person pickup or courier delivery.

Pickup

Pickup is the faster option. Most applicants can collect the same or next business day after receiving a readiness notification from US Visa Scheduling. You'll need to bring your readiness notification email and a government-issued photo ID. If you can't collect in person, someone can collect on your behalf with a signed authorization letter and their own photo ID.

Pickup locations:

• Sydney: VFS Global service point. The U.S. Consulate General is at Suite 2, 50 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060, but passport collection routes through VFS separately.
• Melbourne: Level 5, 332 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004. Some automated emails and older pages still reference the former Swanston Street address, which is no longer in use.
• Perth: MBE Perth CBD, Shop 6, 50 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000.

Delivery

Courier delivery costs $57 AUD on top of processing time, and transit typically takes two to three additional business days. If you've already left the consulate city and need to change your return preference, contact US Visa Scheduling on +61 2 7908 7456 to ask whether a switch is possible.

If your timeline is tight, pickup is the safer option. For a detailed breakdown of passport return timelines, tracking your application status, and what to do if there's a delay, see our E-3 visa passport return guide.

What to check when you receive your E3 visa

Check your visa stamp as soon as you receive it. Verify the name, date of birth, passport number, visa classification (E-3), employer name, and validity dates.

If you notice an error while you're still at the pickup location, flag it with staff on the spot. If you've already left, call US Visa Scheduling on +61 2 7908 7456. If your flight is imminent and the error is on the visa stamp, contact an immigration attorney before boarding. Don't travel on an incorrect visa.

How long is the E3 visa valid?

The E-3 visa is typically valid for two years with multiple entries. Once you enter the U.S., your authorized period of stay is set by your I-94 record at the port of entry, not by the visa expiry date.

This distinction matters: if your I-94 expires before your visa stamp, you'll need your employer to file a status extension (Form I-129) or you'll need to depart the U.S. before the I-94 end date. The visa stamp only governs re-entry.

The I-94 governs how long you can stay and work.

Frequently asked questions