Sponsors (11)
The bill provides clearer, more predictable E-3 visa rules and protects dependents, but ties hires to E-Verify and can reduce or delay visa availability for some Irish applicants, shifting administrative burdens onto employers.
Australian and Irish nationals (E-3 applicants) gain clearer, predictable annual numeric limits (a combined cap up to 10,500), giving them better expectations about visa availability each fiscal year.
Spouses and children of E-3 principal visa holders are explicitly excluded from the numeric cap, ensuring dependent family members keep access to visas regardless of principal approvals.
Employers hiring E-3 Irish nationals get clearer rules tying those hires to E-Verify participation, reducing hiring uncertainty for compliant employers.
Irish nationals seeking E-3 visas could face reduced availability in some years if Australian approvals are high, making access less certain for many applicants.
Employers must enroll in and remain in E-Verify for the hire period, raising compliance costs and administrative burdens for businesses that employ E-3 Irish workers.
Counting prior-year approvals as of September 30 to determine available slots can delay reassignment of unused approvals and create timing uncertainty for applicants and employers planning hires.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Reserves up to 10,500 E‑3 principal slots for Australians, sets the Irish cap as 10,500 minus prior‑year Australian approvals, and requires employers sponsoring Irish E‑3 principals to use E‑Verify.
Changes how E‑3 nonimmigrant slots are allocated between Australian and Irish nationals and requires employers who file attestations for Irish E‑3 principals to participate in and stay in good standing with E‑Verify. Up to 10,500 E‑3 principal slots per year are reserved for Australians; the annual limit for Irish principals is set at 10,500 minus the number of Australian approvals recorded as of the prior fiscal year’s September 30, and the numerical cap applies only to principal visa holders (not spouses or children).
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Richard Edmund Neal · Last progress February 13, 2025