USCIS announced today, February 24, 2021, that the agency has extended Premium Processing service to the E-3 visa classification.
Beginning immediately, petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting a change or extension of status to E-3 classification (reserved for nationals of Australia coming to the United States to perform services in a "specialty occupation.") will have the option to request Premium Processing service for their petition.
USCIS' Premium Processing service, which was previously unavailable for E-3 filings, allows petitioners to pay an additional filing fee of $2,500 to expedite the adjudication of the case to 15 calendar days, a significant improvement over the current adjudication time frame of 6 to 7.5 months.