# E3/E3D Visa Renewal in Lockdown Help!!



## vin321 (Apr 2, 2020)

Hi All,

I need suggestions please guide me. My E3 (Australian) work visa is getting expired in May 2020 and so is my I-94. 
I was planning to take the visa renewal appointment in April but now due to Coronavirus Canada and US has closed border and so is US consultant too for indefinite time. Please advise.

1. Please advice in this situation what can be my options?
2. Can I apply for renewal from inside USA and how much time will it take to get E3 renewal approval?
3. Also my spouse's E3D visa and EAD is expiring as well at the same time as mine what is the option for my spouse visa?

Thanks all!!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

This page from USCIS may help - it at least gives some contact information that could be useful.
https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-response-coronavirus-2019-covid-19


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## vin321 (Apr 2, 2020)

Thank you for sharing this information.However it does not explain weather we can apply from inside USA or not. Any other suggestions are welcome too.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Can't your employer help you with this?


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## nevinho (Apr 8, 2020)

Current advice from lawyers is to petition to extend your work authorization onshore without leaving the country. That gives you at least another 200+ days in the country to see if things calm down. Your visa will expire but you will be able to stay in the USA and work. If you leave the country then you would need to re-apply for a new E3 visa (which nobody can do right now because none of the Consulates are processing visas) so you will be stuck in the USA for a while (along with a few 1000 other Aussies in the same situation).

You wife, however, is screwed. Her EAD will expire when your visa expires. No visa = no EAD. We just have to accept this is a major problem with the E3 visa until the magical day they decide to fix it. My wife has had to quit her VERY good job 3 times already, soon to be 4. The only way around it is to renew your E3 every 18 months to allow enough time for the EAD to be processed, which can take anywhere from 4 - 8 months.


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