Can you apply for the E-2 visa in Australia? You sure can, and Australians have it better than most. The E-2 is common and well understood there, and the country gives applicants something unusual: real choice in where to apply. If you are an Australian thinking about a U.S. business, consider yourself lucky. Here is what makes the Australian E-2 stand out, along with one cost you need to plan for.
Three Consulates to Choose From
Most countries route E-2 applicants to a single consulate. Australia gives you three. You can apply for the E-2 visa in Perth, Melbourne, or Sydney.
That flexibility is rare, and it is genuinely useful. You can pick the location that fits your travel, your timing, and your schedule rather than being locked into one office. Each consulate runs on its own calendar, so wait times can differ between them, and having three options means you are not stuck behind a single backlog. For Australians, that choice alone removes a lot of the stress other applicants deal with.
The Reciprocity Fee You Need to Budget For
Now for the part you must prepare for. Australia carries a visa reciprocity fee, and it is not small. It runs close to USD $5,600 per person. Yes, per person. For a family, that adds up quickly, so build it into your budget from the start.
Here is the reassuring side of that number. The U.S. government only charges the reciprocity fee if you are approved for the visa. It is not a fee you risk losing on a denial. But it does mean one very practical thing: bring a credit card to your interview. If you are approved, you pay the reciprocity fee right there at the U.S. consulate before you leave. People forget this, and you do not want to be the one scrambling at the window.
Good News: Five Years of Reciprocity
There is a nice update for Australian applicants too. The Australian E-2 visa now carries a reciprocity period of up to five years. It used to be four. That extra year means a longer stretch before you have to think about renewal, which is a real quality-of-life improvement for someone building a business and a life in the United States.
Reciprocity is the agreement that sets how long your E-2 visa is valid before renewal, and it varies country by country. For Australians moving from four years to five, that is simply more runway to focus on the business instead of paperwork.
The Australian E-2 at a Glance
Put it together and the picture is friendly. You can apply at three consulates, Perth, Melbourne, or Sydney, picking whichever suits you. You should plan for a reciprocity fee of nearly USD $5,600 per person, payable only if you are approved, with a credit card ready at the interview. And once approved, your visa can run up to five years before renewal.
Those are strong terms, and they are a big reason the E-2 is so popular among Australian entrepreneurs. The visa requirements themselves are the same as for any other treaty country: a substantial investment at risk in a real, operational U.S. business that you will direct and develop.
Are you Australian and want the E-2 visa? Or maybe you are not Australian and still want the E-2 visa? Either way, give us a call anytime. We would love to speak with you about your E-2 visa.
About the author
Angie Rupert is the founder of Rupert Law. Her firm works exclusively on E-2 and E-1 visas, helping investors and entrepreneurs from treaty countries move to (and stay in) the United States.
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