I have some questions regarding changing of status from F2 to E3 (AUS).
Assuming I hold an F2 visa with which I have entered the US, what are the mechanics to transition a E3 visa? Does form I-129 need to be filed since I am within the US, or can I just leave the US, get the E3 in a different country and re-enter the US using the newly-issued E3 without having to deal with I-129? Any advise on any general problems or technicalities that might be relevant to this change of status?
And one last question, what happens to the F2 assuming the change of status is successful, is it possible to switch back to the F2 after being on the E3?
Answering based on my own experience transferring to an E3 from E3D. You can apply for E3 from within US, but you will not be able to travel outside the US because you won’t get a visa stamp. You will also likely want to pay for premium processing if going through USCIS. Alternatively, you can apply at a consulate outside the US, which gives you a stamp. https://americajosh.com is a good resource for E3s.
The faster and better path to an E-3 is simply to leave and apply for an E-3 visa at a U.S. Consulate and likely, the Consulate will cancel your F-2 visa when it issues your E-3 visas (although sometimes Consulates leave dependent visas alone).
Yeah, the market is not completely dead, I can believe that, it just seems extremely competitive for the few positions available, and interviewing is very Leetcode-heavy in the US (the UK much less so, or easier).
I'm thinking that being physically present will clear things up about the state of the market and the level of competition, and perhaps expose me to more opportunities that online/remote applicants don't have. Maybe that's wishful thinking.
On the other hand, a full year is a significant amount of time to invest in searching for a job, and I am willing to compromise on compensation somewhat. How likely is it that I fail to secure even a single offer in that time I'm thinking? I want to say low but then again I see a lot of quality US candidates struggle for months on end.
This is a good point. I do believe I'd regret passing on the opportunity, even if things didn't pan out in the end. But the risk averse part of my brain seems to be holding me back from executing.
I also recognize that this internal conflict is more pronounced by some level of existential dread after Covid and being well into my 30ies now.
Assuming I hold an F2 visa with which I have entered the US, what are the mechanics to transition a E3 visa? Does form I-129 need to be filed since I am within the US, or can I just leave the US, get the E3 in a different country and re-enter the US using the newly-issued E3 without having to deal with I-129? Any advise on any general problems or technicalities that might be relevant to this change of status?
And one last question, what happens to the F2 assuming the change of status is successful, is it possible to switch back to the F2 after being on the E3?