Similar to an H-1B visa, the prospective employer of the E-3 visa holder will first apply for a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the U.S. Department of Labor, with a note at the top of the form indicating it is for an E-3 visa for an Australian citizen. After the LCA is approved, the Australian citizen will then apply for the actual visa at a U.S. consulate and then enter the U.S. Australians who are already in the United States on another type of temporary/non-immigrant visa may also apply to change their status to an E-3 visa. Change of visa status is not possible if the applicant has entered the country under the visa waiver program, however, if the applicant has entered on a different visa (F-1 student) then a change of status is allowed. Statistics Since the introduction of the E-3 visas, between 2,000-3,000 E-3 visas have been issued by US consulates to Australian professionals every year. In addition to this, E-3R visas are issued to the returning Australian professionals whose original visas had expired. The numbers are as follows: 4 new visas in Fiscal Year 2005; 1,918 new visas in FY 2006; 2,572 new and 6 returning in FY 2007; 2,961 new and 1,568 returning in FY 2008; and 2,191 new and 1,421 returning in FY 2009. In addition to this, 1,000 to 1,500 E-3D visas are issued annually to these professionals' dependents. (Each US fiscal year starts and ends three months before the calendar year with the same number). In U.S. Fiscal Year 2006 (October 2005 through September 2006), which was the first full year during which E-3 regulations were in effect, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recorded 2,123 admissions of Australian citizens as E-3 status foreign workers under the treaty. 9,294 admissions were recorded in U.S. Fiscal Year 2007 (October 2006 through September 2007). In U.S. Fiscal Year 2019, there were 5807 E-3 Visas issued, along with an additional 4177 of E-3D Visas issued (for "Spouse or child of Australian specialty occupation professional") The quota for E-3 Visas is 10500 issued Visas per calendar year. Importantly, the number of admissions in a given fiscal year is different from the number of visas issued: an E-3 visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for 24 months, and every reentry of the visa holder into the US (other than after short trips to the "near abroad", i.e. Canada