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Comment by poorlydefined | Hacker News Reader

Hey Peter! I’m considering a move to the US with my current employer in the near/far future. What’s the best way to do so if I want to keep the option of getting permanent residency open? I’m Australian so I’m qualified for an E-3 visa, but as I understand it, it’s only for non immigration intent so applying for any sort of permanent residency would be grounds for it to be revoked. (for context, company is a 1000+ head count multinational and I’m currently working in a satellite office)

On a semi related note - what’s the actual definition of “equivalent to a 4 years US bachelors degree”? I have a 3 year B.Sc from an accredited Australian uni. Would that count against me in any way?

Thanks for opening this thread!

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IANAL. I have a 3 year BSc from Australia. This was very much the norm when I studied; I think 4 year degrees are more common now.

For my visa, my employers' lawyer paid an accredited firm to examine my transcript, confirm it was equivalent to a 4 year US bachelors, and put that in a letter which was part of my application. Interview was at the consulate in Australia, no problems.

Later in life when I was working in the US and applied for a green card, my employers' (junior) lawyers took the view that the 3-year wouldn't suffice - the rules are either different, or being differently interpreted by a separate arm of the US government.

I had 5+ years of relevant work experience before my current company/role, which is considered just as good for the green card process, so we relied on that. Because that was a clearcut option, I didn't fully explore whether good lawyering could make the 3-year degree, and/or my several years of experience for my current employer in an evolving role, work.

Without my knowing all the details, it is highly likely that you would qualify for an E-3 visa easily and as an E-3 visa holder you could pursue green card status (despite what you might have read or heard to the contrary).

My experience on the credentials: You need a trusted 3rd party to certify that your degree is equivalent.

Your lawyer should be able to find the right certifier. e.g. https://www.naces.org

To be clear, the standard for obtaining an equivalency isn't hard to reach whether based on just experience or a combination of education and experience.

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